Finalists for MVP, Cy Young, Rookie & Manager of the Year revealed

Finalists for MVP, Cy Young, Rookie & Manager of the Year revealed

November 12th, 2024

It’s awards season, and that means some of MLB’s most prestigious hardware will soon be handed out as the Baseball Writers’ Association of America recognizes the best of the 2024 season with the Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Awards, the Manager of the Year Awards, the Cy Young Awards and the Most Valuable Player Awards.

The American League and National League finalists for each of those awards -- representing the top three finishers -- were revealed live on MLB Network on Monday night. The 2024 award winners will be announced next week on MLB Network, on the following days at 6 p.m. ET:

Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year: Monday, Nov. 18
Manager of the Year: Tuesday, Nov. 19
Cy Young: Wednesday, Nov. 20
Most Valuable Player: Thursday, Nov. 21

Here’s a look at each finalist, listed in alphabetical order for each award:

NL MOST VALUABLE PLAYER AWARD

, SS (Mets)

Lindor started off slow at the plate, but in mid-May, he turned things around and never looked back. On May 20, the switch-hitter had a slash line of .193/.268/.348. From there, he hit .309/.377/.566 with 26 homers to help fuel the Mets’ run to the postseason.

Overall, Lindor finished with an .844 OPS and 33 home runs. His strong defense at shortstop, combined with his production at the plate, resulted in an fWAR of 7.8, tied for the highest mark in his career. Read more >

, 2B (D-backs)

On the heels of helping lead the D-backs to a surprise World Series run in 2023, Marte set career highs in home runs (36), RBIs (95) and OPS+ (155) in 136 games this season. He was named an All-Star for the second time in his career and was selected as a Gold Glove Award finalist and an MVP finalist for the first time.

Hand, back and ankle injuries hampered Marte, but he was able to put up prodigious numbers when in the lineup, particularly from June 2-Aug. 2, when he posted a 1.105 OPS with 16 homers in 48 games to help Arizona go from five games under .500 to eight games over. Read more >

, DH (Dodgers)

He wasn’t able to pitch in 2024 due to elbow surgery last fall, but Ohtani became the first player in MLB history to hit 50 or more home runs (54) and steal 50 or more bases (59) in the same season. He led the NL in runs scored (134, also led the Majors), home runs (54), RBIs (130), on-base percentage (.390), slugging (.646) and total bases (411, also led MLB).

After winning AL MVP in 2021 and '23 with the Angels, Ohtani is trying to become just the second player to win MVP Awards in both leagues (Frank Robinson, 1961 with Cincinnati and '66 with Baltimore) and the first to do it in back-to-back years. He would also be the first full-time designated hitter to win MVP. Read more >

AL MOST VALUABLE PLAYER AWARD

, CF (Yankees)

Judge had a record-breaking 2022 season, when he set a new AL mark by hitting 62 home runs, but he somehow topped that campaign this season. Though he hit “only” 58 homers this time, Judge had a higher OPS (1.159 to 1.111), higher OPS+ (223 to 210) and one more total base (392 to 391) than in his 2022 AL MVP season. The 1.159 OPS was the highest in any full season in 20 years (Barry Bonds, 1.422 in 2004). If Judge wins the MVP Award, it will be the second of his career and his second in the last three years. Read more >

, RF (Yankees)

Soto was all the Yankees could’ve asked for after he was acquired in a trade with the Padres last Dec. 7. He led the AL in runs scored (128) and hit .288/.419/.569 with a career-high 41 home runs. He was named an All-Star for the fourth time and reached the 200-homer milestone at age 25.

The closest Soto has been to winning an MVP Award was when he finished runner-up to Bryce Harper for the NL honor in 2021. Read more >

, SS (Royals)

After finishing one steal shy of a 30-homer/50-steal campaign in 2023, Witt had an even better season at age 24 in 2024 -- he led the Majors by batting .332 to go along with a .977 OPS, 32 homers and 31 steals for the surprising Royals, who reached the postseason for the first time in nine years. His 10.4 fWAR set a Royals record, eclipsing George Brett’s 9.1 mark from his 1980 MVP season. Read more >

NL CY YOUNG AWARD

, LHP (Braves)

Sale enjoyed a renaissance in his age-35 season, leading the Majors with 18 wins and a 2.38 ERA. He also led the NL with 225 strikeouts to claim the pitching Triple Crown in the Senior Circuit while walking only 39 over 177 2/3 innings for Atlanta. He also led MLB with a 2.09 FIP and 174 ERA+, putting him in a strong position to win his first Cy Young Award after finishing among the top five in balloting six times. Read more >

, RHP (Pirates)

Skenes managed to not only live up to the hype as one of the most anticipated pitching prospects in recent memory; he exceeded it. The flamethrowing right-hander who developed his own signature pitch -- a “splinker” -- went 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA over 23 starts after making his MLB debut on May 11. Though he only pitched 133 innings, he set a Pirates rookie record with 170 strikeouts and became the first rookie pitcher to start the All-Star Game in 29 years. Read more >

, RHP (Phillies)

A perennial Cy Young Award candidate, Wheeler turned in the finest season of his career in 2024, posting a career-best 2.57 ERA and leading the NL with a 0.96 WHIP. He hit the 200-inning mark for the second time (finishing right at 200) and earned his second All-Star selection. Wheeler is looking for his first Cy Young Award after finishing second in the NL balloting in 2021. Read more >

AL CY YOUNG AWARD

, RHP (Guardians)

It’s rare to see a reliever named a finalist for the Cy Young Award – Francisco Rodriguez was the last in 2008 with the Angels – given the significantly lower number of innings pitched, a relief pitcher has to be overpowering and utterly dominant to garner consideration for the ultimate pitching honor. But Clase definitely meets that criteria for his work this past season, when his ERA was a microscopic 0.61 and he saved an AL-high 47 games for Cleveland. Read more >

, RHP (Royals)

In his age-34 campaign, Lugo had his best season as a full-time starter, pitching to an even 3.00 ERA and 1.09 WHIP over a career-high 206 2/3 innings for Kansas City. He played a key role in the Royals’ surprise postseason run. The spin savant had a fastball run value in the 94th percentile and a breaking ball run value in the 99th percentile among qualified pitchers, according to Statcast. Read more >

, LHP (Tigers)

Skubal had the breakout year many saw coming, winning the AL Triple Crown for pitching by leading the league in wins (18), ERA (2.39) and strikeouts (228, also led MLB). He was a huge reason the Tigers reached the postseason for the first time in 10 years. With a fastball that regularly tops 100 mph, complemented by a secondary repertoire that includes a changeup, slider and knuckle-curve, the 27-year-old had a 30.3% strikeout rate and walked only 4.6% of the batters he faced. Read more >

NL JACKIE ROBINSON ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AWARD

, OF (Brewers)

Chourio was a highly touted prospect whom the Brewers signed to an eight-year, $82 million contract extension before he even made his MLB debut, a record for a player who had never played in a Major League game. While he struggled at the plate to begin the season, he turned things around in June. On June 1, his OPS was .575, but from there, he hit .305/.360/.528 with 16 homers in 97 games to help Milwaukee win the NL Central. He became the first player to record a 20-homer/20-steal season before his 21st birthday. Read more >

, CF (Padres)

Merrill made the Padres’ roster out of Spring Training and immediately showed he belonged in the big leagues. He was named an All-Star and led MLB rookies in home runs (24, tied with Colton Cowser), RBIs (90), hits (162), batting average (.292) and OPS (.826). Merrill was also extremely clutch, becoming the youngest player (21 years old) to hit five game-tying or go-ahead homers in the ninth inning or later in the same season. By the way, he did all of this while playing a premium position in center field, a position he’d never played as a professional. Read more >

, RHP (Pirates)

Less than a year after being drafted first overall by the Pirates out of LSU, Skenes made his MLB debut on May 11 – and wasted no time showing why his arrival in The Show had been so highly anticipated. Skenes led MLB rookies with a 1.96 ERA (minimum 100 innings pitched) and finished just four punchouts behind Shota Imanaga (174) for the rookie strikeout lead. The 22-year-old became the first rookie pitcher to record at least 170 strikeouts and a sub-2.00 ERA since earned runs became official in 1913. Skenes also joined late Marlins star José Fernández as the only rookies in the past 35 seasons with double-digit wins, at least 150 strikeouts and a sub-2.50 ERA. Read more >

AL JACKIE ROBINSON ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AWARD

, OF (Orioles)

Although he struggled in his first taste of the Majors -- .433 OPS in 26 games with Baltimore in 2023 -- Cowser came out of the gate hot at the plate in ’24, producing a .303/.372/.632 slash line with six homers over the first month of the season. He finished with 24 home runs, tying Merrill for the most by a rookie this season, and led AL rookies with a 123 OPS+ to help the Orioles reach the postseason for the second consecutive year. Read more >

, RHP (Yankees)

Though he had cups of coffee in the bigs in 2021 and ‘22, Gil fully burst into the baseball consciousness in May, when he pitched to an incredible 0.70 ERA over six starts (38 2/3 innings) and struck out 44 while walking 12. Opponents hit just .109 against him that month as he vaulted into the early AL Rookie of the Year conversation. He had his ups and downs from there, but still finished with a 3.50 ERA and a 26.8% strikeout rate over 29 starts for New York. Read more >

, C (Yankees)

In 13 of those 29 starts by Gil, his fellow rookie Wells was behind the plate. It took Wells some time to get going at the dish, but from June 5 through the end of August, Wells hit .294/.385/.533 with 11 homers in 59 games. Behind the plate, he finished third among qualified catchers in framing runs (12) and was also above average with 4 blocks above average. Read more >

NL MANAGER OF THE YEAR AWARD

Carlos Mendoza (Mets)

In his first season as manager, Mendoza led the Mets to a Wild Card berth with a surge beginning in June that eventually led all the way to the NL Championship Series. New York began the season 0-5, and on June 2, the Mets were 11 games under .500. But from there, Mendoza guided the Mets to a 65-38 record to slip into the postseason on Sept. 30. New York went an MLB-best 28-16 in one-run games and had 41 comeback wins. Read more >

Pat Murphy (Brewers)

One would not have guessed that Murphy was in his first season as a full-time big league manager with how comfortable he looked at the helm in Milwaukee. He had the Brewers playing crisp, details-oriented baseball as they cruised to their third NL Central title in four years, despite the preseason trade of ace Corbin Burnes to the Orioles and the loss of a resurgent Christian Yelich to another back injury in mid-July. If Murphy wins the award, he would be the first Manager of the Year winner in Brewers history. Read more >

Mike Shildt (Padres)

Shildt was hired to right the ship after the Padres finished 82-80 and missed the playoffs in 2023 and he more than delivered, leading San Diego to 93 wins and a Wild Card berth. Down the stretch, the Padres only got stronger, going 34-18 in August and September to cement their place atop the Wild Card standings, even briefly closing the gap with the Dodgers in the NL West to two games. Shildt previously won Manager of the Year with the Cardinals in 2019. Read more >

AL MANAGER OF THE YEAR AWARD

A.J. Hinch (Tigers)

In his fourth season at the helm in Detroit, Hinch led the Tigers to their first postseason appearance in a decade. He shepherded a young roster led by Skubal on a surprise push that really gained steam in late August, with the Tigers winning 24 of their final 34 games to earn a Wild Card berth. Read more >

Matt Quatraro (Royals)

In another AL Central surprise, Quatraro led the Royals to an 86-76 record and their first playoff appearance in nine years. With MVP finalist Witt leading the lineup and a sturdy starting rotation, Kansas City made one of the most dramatic turnarounds in MLB history -- just a season ago, the club lost 106 games. Read more >

Stephen Vogt (Guardians)

Vogt rounds out this AL Central trifecta of finalists after the first-year manager steered Cleveland to a surprise division title and the second-best record in the AL. Entering the season with large shoes to fill -- those of veteran skipper Terry Francona -- Vogt acquitted himself brilliantly in his first season at the helm, which bodes well for a bright future in Cleveland. Read more >