In a standout conclusion to the 2024 Major League Baseball season, Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees were recognized with the league's most prestigious individual honors. Ohtani garnered the National League Most Valuable Player (MVP) award, prevailing over strong candidates Francisco Lindor of the New York Mets and Ketel Marte of the Arizona Diamondbacks. This achievement marks the third MVP award for Ohtani, who previously secured the title twice in the American League during his tenure with the Los Angeles Angels.
Aaron Judge earned the American League MVP award, outshining fellow finalists Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals and his teammate Juan Soto. This accolade represents Judge's second MVP award, having first achieved it in 2022. Notably, the Dodgers, with Ohtani's contributions, triumphed over the Yankees in the World Series, leaving Judge and Soto to reflect on their impressive individual seasons as their team aspirations fell short.
Ohtani's remarkable season unfolded under challenging circumstances, as he was restricted to a designated hitter role due to elbow surgery he underwent in September 2023. Despite this limitation, he shattered the previous narratives surrounding designated hitters, becoming the first player in MLB history to achieve a 50-home run and 50-steal season. He led the National League with 54 home runs, 130 RBIs, a .390 on-base percentage, and a .646 slugging percentage. His performance was also historically significant, as he recorded a total of 411 bases, tying for the 16th most in a single season based on all-time metrics. Judge, on the other hand, also had an exceptional season, achieving a .322/.458/.701 batting line while leading MLB in home runs, RBIs, walks, and several other key performance metrics, solidifying the dominance of both players in the league.
