On November 11, MLB announced the finalists for the marquee awards that will be handed out after this past seasons. The league confirmed which players could win this year’s MVP and Cy Young Awards, as well as the Rookie of the Year. Here’s a look at the finalists for every major award, starting with the Most Valuable Player honors.
AL MVP
Aaron Judge (Yankees), Bobby Witt Jr. (Royals), and Juan Soto (Yankees) are the three finalists for the 2024 AL MVP.
Judge will look to win his second AL MVP in three season. The Yankees outfielder led the AL in bWAR (10.8), OPS (1.159), and home runs (58).
Witt Jr. played a key role for the Royals in their run to the ALDS. The Royals star finished second in bWAR (9.4) among AL players, was third in OPS (.977), hit 32 home runs, and scored 125 runs. He also led all of MLB in batting average (.332).
Soto tag-teamed with Judge to push the Yankees to an AL East title in 2024. Soto hit a career-high 41 home runs and led the AL in runs scored (128). He finished second in on-base percentage (.419), behind only Judge (.458).
Given those numbers, it’s not a shock these three are the finalists. However, players like Gunnar Henderson and Jose Ramirez are notable snubs. Ramirez fell one home run shy of a 40-40 season, while Henderson finished third in the AL in bWAR (9.1).
NL MVP
Shohei Ohtani (Dodgers), Francisco Lindor (Mets), and Ketel Marte (Diamondbacks) are the three finalists for the NL MVP in 2024.
Ohtani will look to win his first AL MVP award after winning two in the American League. The Dodgers star will have a strong chance to do so, as he became the first player in MLB history to record a 50-50 season.
Lindor finished third in the National League in bWAR (7.0). The Mets shortstop was vital to his team’s run to the NLCS. Lindor hit 33 home runs, scored 107 runs, and stole 29 bases for the Mets. He cemented his status as a NL MVP contender on September 30 when he hit a home run in the ninth inning to give the Mets a lead in Game 161, which clinced New York (NL) a playoff birth.
Marte finished fourth in the NL MVP voting in 2019 after he hit 32 home runs, hit .329, and posted a .981 OPS. Five years later, one could argue he bested those numbers. Marte hit a career-high 36 home runs and drove in 95. His .932 OPS was second-best in the NL, behind only Ohtani.
AL Rookie of the Year
Colton Cowser (Orioles), Luis Gil (Yankees), and Austin Wells (Yankees) are the three finalists for the 2024 AL Rookie of the Year.
Cowser finished tied for first in the Majors in home runs (24) among rookies. The Orioles outfielder posted a .826 OPS and stole 16 bases, as well.
Gil had a strong rookie campaign for the Yankees. The 26-year-old won 15 games and struck out 171 over 151.2 IP.
Wells hit .229/.322/.395 with 13 home runs and 32 extra-base hits with the Yankees. The catcher hit .325/.391/.545 with four home runs in August.
NL Rookie of the Year
Paul Skenes (Pirates), Jackson Merrill (Padres), and Jackson Chourio (Brewers) are the 2024 NL Rookie of the Year finalists.
No surprises here among the top three. Skenes struck out 170 over 133 innings and was arguably a top-three pitcher after the Pirates promoted him in May. Chourio posted a 20-20 season for the Brewers, while Merrill posted a .826 OPS, hit 24 home runs, and drove in 90 for the Padres in 2024.
AL Cy Young Award
Tarik Skubal (Tigers), Seth Lugo (Royals), and Emmanuel Clase (Guardians) are the 2024 AL Cy Young Award finalists.
Skubal could be considered the heavy favorite for this award. Not only was he arguably the Tigers’ best player in 2024 but he also won the AL Triple Crown. Skubal led the American League in wins (18), ERA (2.39), and strikeouts (228).
Lugo had a fantastic first season in Kansas City. The 34-year-old finished second in bWAR (5.3) aming AL pitchers, won 16 games, and struck out 181 over 206.2 IP. Lugo finished with a 3.00 ERA.
Clase, meanwhile, will look to do something no reliever since Eric Gagne has done: win a Cy Young Award. The Guardians reliever finished second in the Majors in saves (47) and owned a 0.61 ERA during the regular season.
NL Cy Young Award
Chris Sale (Braves), Zack Wheeler (Phillies), and Paul Skenes (Pirates) are the 2024 NL Cy Young Award finalists.
Like Skubal, Sale is a heavy favorite on the NL side. The Braves lefty won the NL Triple Crown in 2024, as Sale finished first in wins (18), strikeouts (225), and ERA (2.38).
Wheeler has come close to winning this award before. The Phillies’ co-ace was the runner-up in 2021 and had a sensational 2024. Wheeler led the NL in WHIP (0.96), posted a 2.57 ERA, and struck out 224 over 200 innings.
Skenes will be a finalist for two major awards in 2024.
AL Manager of the Year
AJ Hinch (Tigers), Matt Quatraro (Royals), and Stephen Vogt (Guardians) are the finalists for the AL Manager of the Year.
Hinch helped lead the Tigers to an 86-win season and their first playoff birth since 2014. The Tigers had an incredible run in September, as Detroit went from five games back in the AL Wild Card race to a spot after 16 wins in the final month.
Quatraro, meanwhile, led a Royals team that lost 106 games in 2023 to the playoffs in 2024. The Royals won 86 games in 2024, thirty more than the year earlier.
Lastly, Vogt took over from Terry Francona and Cleveland’s record improved significantly. The Guardians won 16 more games in 2024, and also won their second division title in three years.
NL Manager of the Year
Carlos Mendoza (Mets), Pat Murphy (Brewers), and Mike Shildt (Padres) are the three finalists for the 2024 NL Manager of the Year Award. All three were first-year managers for their teams in 2024.
Both Mendoza and Shildt took over teams that missed the playoffs in 2023. Mendoza’s Mets underwent the largest transformation, as New York (NL) went from 75 to 89 wins and made the NLCS.
Shildt, meanwhile, inherited a strong team but on in flux, as the Padres lost Blake Snell and Juan Soto last winter. The Padres won 93 games, second-most in franchise history, and made it as far as the NLDS.
Murphy’s Brewers won the 2023 NL Central title but not under his watch. The Brewers’ manager took over from Craig Counsell after Counsell left to take over the Cubs’ bench. Milwaukee dealt with the departure of Corbin Burnes in stride, and their young team won the NL Central for the second straight year.
The winners for these awards will be confirmed next week, beginning on November 18. However, the league has already handed out some hardware this year, including the Roberto Clemente Award and Gold Gloves.