The New York Yankees are in a strong position to see one of their stars, Aaron Judge or Juan Soto, win the 2024 American League MVP award, according to a recent poll.
MLB.com ranked the top five MVP candidates for both leagues, placing Judge at the top spot and Soto at number three.
Accompanying Judge and Soto in the rankings are Rafael Devers of the Boston Red Sox and Jose Ramirez of the Cleveland Indians, who are tied for fifth, Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals at fourth, and Gunnar Henderson of the Baltimore Orioles in second place.
Judge is having an exceptional season, leading the majors with 34 home runs, 85 RBIs, and an impressive 1.112 OPS. His performance has propelled the Yankees to a 58-40 record, placing them third in the AL and fourth in MLB.
The Yankees have notably excelled in games where Judge has hit a home run or recorded multiple hits, boasting a 24-8 record in each scenario. Judge’s advanced metrics are also outstanding, as he ranks in the 100th percentile in xwOBA (.468), xSLG (.722), and hard-hit percentage (61.5%), with a batting run value of 50.
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Juan Soto is also making a strong case for MVP. The 25-year-old is second in the majors in runs and has a batting line of .295/.426/.558. He leads the MLB in walks with 79 and has a WAR of 5.0, underscoring his significant contribution to the Yankees’ success. However, Soto’s performance has seen a slight decline monthly, with decreases in his batting average, runs, and home runs since April.
Despite the impressive performances by Judge and Soto, they face stiff competition. Gunnar Henderson leads the majors with 78 runs, Bobby Witt Jr. has the third-best batting average at .323 and nine triples, and Jose Ramirez ranks third in the AL with 23 home runs and second with 77 RBIs. Rafael Devers also boasts a .295 batting average, although his six errors at third base might affect his MVP chances.
As the season progresses, it remains to be seen if Judge or Soto can secure the MVP award amidst such strong contenders.
