The case for each of this year's MVP Award finalists

While this year’s MVP races have two clear frontrunners coming off historic offensive campaigns, that doesn’t mean the competition is lacking.

The other four finalists also delivered exceptional performances in 2024, more than one of which would have secured the MVP Award rather handily in many other years.

Here's a look at the case for each of the six MVP candidates before the winners are announced Thursday on MLB Network at 6 p.m. ET.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Aaron Judge, OF, Yankees

Judge is seeking his second career MVP Award, having previously won in 2022, and a strong case can be made that this was his finest offensive season to date -- even better than the memorable campaign in which he eclipsed Roger Maris’ single-season AL home run record.

The 32-year-old Judge batted .322/.458/.701 (180-for-559) with 122 runs, 36 doubles, 58 homers, 144 RBIs and 133 walks in 158 games this past season.

The Major League leader in homers, RBIs, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS (1.159), walks, times on base (322), game-winning RBIs (24), go-ahead RBIs (32) and position player fWAR (11.2), Judge also paced the AL in total bases (392) and extra-base hits (95).

-- Bryan Hoch

Juan Soto, OF, Yankees

The Yankees traded for Soto in December, expecting that he would provide a dynamic presence near the top of their lineup and help them rebound from an October in which the lights remained off at Yankee Stadium. Check and check.

As he approached what promises to be a lucrative tour on the free-agent market, Soto enjoyed arguably the best offensive season of his career thus far, batting .288/.419/.569 (166-for-576) with 128 runs, 31 doubles, four triples, 41 homers, 109 RBIs and 129 walks in 157 games.

Now 26, Soto set new career highs in runs, hits, homers, total bases (328) and extra-base hits (76) during the regular season. He ranked second in the Majors in walks, times on base (299), and runs scored, while placing fourth in homers, slugging percentage and position player fWAR (8.1).

-- Bryan Hoch

Bobby Witt Jr., SS, Royals

Witt’s case is simple: He was the best all-around player in 2024.

Judge is the favorite for MVP because of his otherworldly offensive season, but is the MVP an offensive award? How do you define “most valuable player?” Witt’s 10.4 WAR, via FanGraphs, was second in baseball to Judge’s 11.4 mark. According to WAR, at least, both Judge and Witt had one of the 15 best AL seasons since the modern MVP Award was established (1931), which is less of a “case for” and more a reminder of how lucky we were to witness two amazing individual seasons in one year.

Witt also became the first shortstop ever to record multiple 30-30 seasons with his 32 home runs and 31 stolen bases in ‘24. He was also the second player ever (regardless of position) to lead the Majors in batting average (.332) during a 30-30 season, joining Mookie Betts – in his 2018 MVP campaign.

And Witt was one of the best defenders at the most premier position on the field. His 16 outs above average ranked first in the AL and were tied for second in MLB. Opponents also had to factor in Witt’s speed as the fastest player in MLB with a 30.5 ft/sec sprint speed. They couldn’t simply just put him on base and forget about him.

Just consider Witt’s recent hardware already: batting title, Gold Glove, Silver Slugger and All-MLB First Team shortstop. Adding MVP would really round it all out, wouldn’t it?

-- Anne Rogers

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Francisco Lindor, SS, Mets

The case for Lindor is simple: He was far and away the best National League position player.

Shohei Ohtani is certainly the presumptive MVP favorite given his generational accomplishments at the plate. But Ohtani never stepped onto the field with a glove, which is where Lindor really shined. In addition to compiling more offensive WAR than any National Leaguer other than Ohtani, Lindor rated as one of the top defensive shortstops in the game, ranking second behind only Dansby Swanson with 16 Outs Above Average at the position.

Offensively, Lindor came within a whisker of a second consecutive 30-30 season, finishing with 33 home runs and 29 stolen bases. And he posted up, appearing in every Mets game before injuring his back in mid-September.

Along the way, Lindor further established himself as a leader, most notably calling the players-only meeting that his teammates credited for their dramatic turnaround and run up the standings. Lindor was a massive part of that, shaking off an early slump to hit .309/.377/.566 from May 21 through the end of the season. He didn’t bash 54 home runs or steal 59 bases like his chief MVP rival, but Lindor accomplished a few things that even Ohtani couldn’t.

In another year, he’d be the clear-cut NL MVP. As it is, Lindor may have to settle for one of the greatest individual seasons in Mets franchise history, without any league-wide hardware to show for it.

-- Anthony DiComo

Ketel Marte, 2B, D-backs

Much like Lindor, Marte’s MVP candidacy is built on his all-around excellence.

Marte was not only a top 10 defender at his position with +8 Outs Above Average, he also ranked among the top 10 hitters in the entire sport with a 151 wRC+. Only one other player could say that they did both in 2024, and that was Bobby Witt Jr.

But perhaps what’s most impressive about Marte’s season is the extent to which he outperformed every other second baseman in baseball, giving the D-backs a huge advantage at a position that was a weak spot for many MLB clubs.

Marte led primary second basemen in homers (36), RBIs (95) and WAR (6.3, per FanGraphs) in a year when no other player at the position had more than 23 dingers, 83 RBIs or 4.2 WAR. Marte was also first among qualifiers at his position in slugging (.560), OPS (.932) and wRC+ (151). The next-closest second baseman in each of those categories had a .444 SLG, a .790 OPS and a 127 wRC+.

-- Thomas Harrigan

Shohei Ohtani, DH, Dodgers

Since coming over from Japan in 2018, all Ohtani has done is make history in the Majors. Sure, no designated hitter has ever won the MVP Award, but you know what else is true? No player had ever hit 50 homers and stolen 50 bases in a Major League season until Ohtani accomplished that feat this season.

Even with the immense pressure that naturally follows him, Ohtani was able to put together one of the best offensive seasons in recent memory. His September was one for the books, and it'll likely be more than enough to help him secure a second consecutive and third overall Most Valuable Player Award.

-- Juan Toribio