For the second time in three years, Aaron Choose turned a historic season into an MVP trophy.
The Yankees captain was named the 2024 AL MVP on Thursday, an anticipated consequence after he led the majors in almost each main offensive class.
Choose acquired all 30 of the first-place votes, with Kansas Metropolis Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. putting second after sweeping the second-place votes, and Yankee teammate Juan Soto ending third.
The 32-year-old Choose led MLB hitters with 58 house runs, 144 RBI, 133 walks, a .458 on-base share, a .701 slugging share and a 1.159 OPS.
His .322 common ranked third within the majors and was solely 10 factors behind Witt’s MLB-leading .332 mark.
And Choose did it whereas primarily taking part in middle area, one in all baseball’s most demanding defensive positions, the place he moved this season to accommodate the arrival of Soto in proper area.
“It’s crazy to see a guy hit a homer day after day,” Soto mentioned of Choose in August. “It’s incredible. I’ve never seen somebody hit so many homers so consistently.”
Choose turned the primary participant to file at the least 140 RBI in a season since 2009, whereas his 1.159 OPS was the best by a middle fielder since Mickey Mantle posted a 1.177 OPS in 1957.
His prolific manufacturing helped lead the Yankees to an AL East title and a league-best 94-68 file.
“I couldn’t be happier for such an amazing person and leader,” Yankees supervisor Aaron Boone mentioned Thursday in an announcement. “After having a front row seat for his 2022 MVP performance, I really couldn’t envision a player having a better and more complete baseball season. But that’s exactly what he accomplished in 2024.”
That is the second MVP Award for Choose, who gained the glory in 2022 after hitting an AL single-season file 62 house runs.
Choose completed because the AL MVP runner-up in 2017 after hitting 52 house runs as a rookie. The MVP that yr went to Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve.
With Thursday’s award, Choose turned the seventh participant to win two MVPs with the Yankees, becoming a member of Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, Mantle, Roger Maris and Alex Rodriguez.
The 2024 Nationwide League MVP went unanimously to Shohei Ohtani, whose Los Angeles Dodgers defeated Choose’s Yankees in 5 video games within the World Sequence. Now a three-time MVP, Ohtani hit 54 house runs and stole 59 bases throughout the common season for the primary 50-50 marketing campaign in MLB historical past.
Choose, the Yankees’ No. 3 hitter this yr, benefited from hitting behind Soto, who struck a career-high 41 house runs and recorded 109 RBI in his first — and presumably solely — season in pinstripes.
Acquired in a blockbuster commerce with the San Diego Padres final December, Soto batted .288 and ranked second within the AL with a .419 on-base share and a .988 OPS. Soto, 26, is now a free agent who is anticipated to command a record-setting contract.
The 24-year-old Witt, in the meantime, delivered a breakout marketing campaign for the Royals in his third MLB season, main the majors with 211 hits whereas recording 32 house runs, 109 RBI, 31 stolen bases and a .977 OPS to associate with his batting title.
Witt helped elevate the Royals from a 56-win season in 2023 to an 86-76 file and a wild-card berth this yr.
Choose was named MVP three days after teammate Luis Gil gained AL Rookie of the 12 months honors. The fitting-handed Gil went 15-7 with a 3.50 ERA and 171 strikeouts in 151.2 innings this season.
Initially Revealed: November 21, 2024 at 6:31 PM EST
