Aaron Judge surpasses Shohei Ohtani for Baseball Digest Player of the Year

Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge won the Baseball Digest/Inside Edge Major League Player of the Year award on Friday, edging out Shohei Ohtani in a very close vote.

Both superstars placed first in 12 of 24 ballots. But the New York Yankees outfielder also received 12 second-place votes, while the Los Angeles Dodgers slugger was voted third in two submissions.

Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. received the other two second-place votes and finished third.

Detroit Tigers star Tarik Skubal was voted the sport's best pitcher and Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase was voted unanimously by a panel of baseball writers and broadcasters that included several former players, managers and executives voted reliever of the year.

Judge received the same award in 2022. Ron Guidry (1978) and Derek Jeter (2006) are the only other Yankees to have won.

Ohtani has finished second in each of the last three years after winning in 2021. Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr. was last season's winner.

Judge led the majors with 58 home runs, 144 RBIs and a 1.159 OPS in 2024, helping the Yankees to an AL East title. He hit .322 and scored 122 runs.

Ohtani had 54 home runs, 130 RBIs and a 1.036 OPS as the Dodgers won the NL West in his first year with the team after he signed a record $700 million contract in free agency. He also stole 59 bases – which was the first 50-50 season in big league history – and batted .310 with an MLB-best 134 runs.

The two-way phenom hasn't pitched this year, appearing exclusively as a designated hitter while he recovers from his second major elbow surgery.

Skubal won the American League pitching Triple Crown with a record of 18-4 and led the league in wins, ERA (2.39) and strikeouts (228) in 192 innings.

He received 18 first-place votes to five for fellow Atlanta Braves left-hander Chris Sale, who went 18-3 with a 2.38 ERA and 225 strikeouts in 177 2/3 innings to win the National League pitching Triple Crown .

Philadelphia right-hander Zack Wheeler received the other first-place vote.

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