On Monday, Major League Baseball revealed the three finalists for each of its major end-of-season awards, as determined by voting from the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA). Writers in American League cities cast votes for AL awards, while National League writers vote for NL categories. Each award is decided by a total of 30 votes.
As expected, Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani earned a spot as a finalist for the NL MVP following his historic 50-50 season, the first of its kind in baseball. Ohtani finished with 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases, cementing his place as one of the game’s most electrifying talents.
In the AL MVP race, New York Yankees teammates Aaron Judge and Juan Soto both made the cut, raising the question.
Unexpected Storyline twist
One of the most unexpected storylines in this year’s awards is the inclusion of Seth Lugo as a finalist for AL Cy Young. Many anticipated Kansas City Royals pitcher Cole Ragans or Baltimore Orioles ace Corbin Burnes to earn spots instead, but Lugo’s impressive performance made him a deserving candidate. Also noteworthy is the inclusion of Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase, who had an outstanding season, posting a minuscule 0.61 ERA and recording 47 saves—numbers that helped him secure a spot as a finalist despite the rarity of relief pitchers winning the Cy Young.
Here are the finalists for each of MLB’s postseason awards, with winners set to be announced next week:
AL Rookie of the Year (Nov. 18 announcement)
Austin Wells, C, New York Yankees
Colton Cowser, RF, Baltimore Orioles
Luis Gil, SP, New York Yankees
NL Rookie of the Year (Nov. 18 announcement)
Paul Skenes, SP, Pittsburgh Pirates
Jackson Merrill, CF, San Diego Padres
Jackson Chourio, OF, Milwaukee Brewers
AL Manager of the Year (Nov. 19 announcement)
- Stephen Vogt, Cleveland Guardians
- A.J. Hinch, Detroit Tigers
- Matt Quatraro, Kansas City Royals
NL Manager of the Year (Nov. 19 announcement)
- Pat Murphy, Milwaukee Brewers
- Mike Shildt, San Diego Padres
- Carlos Mendoza, New York Mets
AL Cy Young (Nov. 20 announcement)
- Tarik Skubal, SP, Detroit Tigers
- Seth Lugo, SP, Kansas City Royals
- Emmanuel Clase, RP, Cleveland Guardians
NL Cy Young (Nov. 20 announcement)
- Chris Sale, SP, Atlanta Braves
- Paul Skenes, SP, Pittsburgh Pirates
- Zack Wheeler, SP, Philadelphia Phillies
AL MVP (Nov. 21 announcement)
- Aaron Judge, CF, New York Yankees
- Bobby Witt Jr., SS, Kansas City Royals
- Juan Soto, RF, New York Yankees
NL MVP (Nov. 21 announcement)
- Shohei Ohtani, DH, Los Angeles Dodgers
- Francisco Lindor, SS, New York Mets
- Ketel Marte, 2B, Arizona Diamondbacks
These finalists reflect the incredible individual performances seen across the league this season. From Ohtani's historic 50-50 season to the breakout campaigns of young stars like Colton Cowser and Paul Skenes, 2024 has been a year of impressive achievements. With the winners to be revealed next week, the excitement surrounding these awards continues to build.
