MVP poll: It's a two-player race in each league

As the 2024 regular season heads down the homestretch, there remains a clear frontrunner in each league for the Most Valuable Player Award, according to our latest MVP poll.

But don't look now -- there is a star shortstop making a late charge in each race.

As usual, MLB.com experts were asked to rank their top five MVP picks in both the American League and National League, based on what's happened so far and what they expect will happen the rest of the season. Players received vote points on a 5-4-3-2-1 scale -- five points for a first-place vote, four points for a second-place vote and so on, with 37 voters participating. Here are the results.

All stats updated through Sunday.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

1. Aaron Judge, OF, Yankees (31 first-place votes)
Judge entered this week batting just .186 with no home runs over his past 12 games. He hasn't experienced a longer homer drought since August of 2019. However, the Yankees' captain remains the MVP favorite because he is still on pace to bash 57 dingers and is near the end of what might be the best offensive season by a right-handed hitter in AL/NL history. Judge's 9.6 bWAR leads the Majors while his 9.6 fWAR has him tied at the top with the man who placed second on the AL side of our poll.

2. Bobby Witt Jr., SS, Royals (six first-place votes)
From now through Wednesday, the baseball world gets to enjoy Witt and Judge -- the two best players in the American League -- squaring off inside Yankee Stadium. With two more stolen bases, the Royals' star will become the first player in AL/NL history to reach 40 doubles, 30 homers, 30 steals and 10 triples in a season. Witt paces MLB with 118 runs scored and, with his .336 average, he is tracking toward winning Kansas City's first batting title since George Brett in 1990. He's also tied for third with 17 outs above average. Witt may not take home MVP honors, but he is still having an all-time great year.

3. Juan Soto, OF, Yankees
Make it three MVP candidates on the same field this week in New York. Soto, like Judge, has been scuffling a little bit at the plate, batting .217 with one home run through his previous 12 games. But his overall stats remain remarkable. The 25-year-old is poised to end this season among the top five in the big leagues in on-base percentage (.420), OPS (1.003), runs scored (113) and wRC+ (181). He is also likely to register the first 40-homer campaign of his career. This all sets up what should be a fascinating winter as teams vie for Soto's services.

4. Gunnar Henderson, SS, Orioles
Henderson is the one member of this AL quintet who has been swinging a hot bat of late. He posted a .429/.485/.729 slash line through his first seven games this month and was named AL Player of the Week on Monday. His week included his 35th homer of the year, breaking a tie with Cal Ripken Jr. and Miguel Tejada for the most by an Orioles shortstop. His 36th homer came the next day. With a strong finish to 2024, Henderson will become the first O's player, age 23 or younger, to have a 40-homer season.

5. José Ramírez, 3B, Guardians
Ho-hum, it's just J-Ram on track for another top-five finish in MVP voting. He has been among the top five in four of the past seven voting cycles; Mike Trout, Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts are the only other players who can say the same. The Guardians' leader achieved his second 30-30 season last month, has exceeded 100 runs and 100 RBIs for the third time in his career and continues to play plus defense at the hot corner (two OAA).

Others receiving votes: Yordan Alvarez (Astros), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Blue Jays), Brent Rooker (A’s), Jarren Duran (Red Sox), Rafael Devers (Red Sox), Tarik Skubal (Tigers)

NATIONAL LEAGUE

1. Shohei Ohtani, DH, Dodgers (28 first-place votes)
Who is having the more historic season: Judge or Ohtani? Whomever you choose, you're not wrong. Ohtani took another step toward becoming MLB's first 50-50 player on Sunday when he launched a 450-foot moonshot in the Dodgers' victory over Cleveland. It was his 46th home run, matching a career high. The two-time AL MVP has already set personal bests with 113 runs and 101 RBIs, both of which hold at least a share of the National League lead. He is unmatched among NL players in slugging (.618), OPS (.992) and wRC+ (169), just to name a few categories.

2. Francisco Lindor, SS, Mets (nine first-place votes)
Lindor has gained ground on Ohtani in the MVP debate while his Mets have gained ground on the rest of the National League. New York entered Monday having won 17 of its past 24 games and in a tie for the final NL Wild Card spot, largely thanks to Lindor. He batted .310 with eight homers, 17 extra-base hits and a 1.011 OPS during that span. He set the franchise's single-season on-base streak record Saturday, hit his 30th homer of the year a few days prior and is on pace to go 30-30 for the second straight season. Lindor has been showered with "M-V-P!" chants at Citi Field -- and some road ballparks -- in recent weeks, and deservedly so.

3. Ketel Marte, 2B, D-backs
Marte returned to Arizona's lineup Friday after missing about three weeks due to a sprained left ankle. Despite the extended absence, Marte still ranks fourth in the National League in fWAR (5.2) and tied for fifth in home runs (30). He owns a solid .293/.367/.551 slash line, and his OPS trails only Ohtani and Marcell Ozuna among Senior Circuit hitters. Marte has been eased back into action as the D-backs' designated hitter, but he was enjoying arguably his best season on defense before landing on the IL, highlighted by seven OAA.

4. Marcell Ozuna, DH, Braves
Ozuna has carried Atlanta's injury-stricken lineup at times this season and has been the best run producer in the NL not named Ohtani. He has 37 homers, 98 RBIs, a .942 OPS, 304 total bases and a 158 wRC+ -- all of which are directly behind the Dodgers' superstar. Meanwhile, Ozuna's .306 average is second in the NL to the Padres' Luis Arraez (.315). With 19 games remaining in the regular season, Ozuna has a chance to become the fourth Braves player to hit 40 home runs in back-to-back years, joining Andruw Jones (2005-06), Hank Aaron (1962-63) and Eddie Mathews (1953-55).

5. Elly De La Cruz, SS, Reds
A 30-homer, 80-steal season from De La Cruz was a real possibility not too long ago. But the Cincinnati sensation has netted just two homers and three stolen bases over his past 25 games. Still, it's hard not to be in awe of his overall production. De La Cruz is just the fifth member of the 20-60 club, and his .820 OPS is a 110-point improvement from his 2023 rookie season. De La Cruz has compiled 6.2 fWAR, third-most in the NL, because of the tremendous strides he has made on defense. After recording one OAA at shortstop last year, he has produced 15 OAA this season, tied for seventh-most in MLB.

Others receiving votes: Bryce Harper (Phillies), Chris Sale (Braves), Jackson Merrill (Padres), Matt Chapman (Giants), Willy Adames (Brewers), Freddie Freeman (Dodgers), Kyle Schwarber (Phillies), Jurickson Profar (Padres), William Contreras (Brewers)