After regular seasons of success, numerous Yankees and Mets saw their accomplishments rewarded as they were named finalists for MLB awards, voted on by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA).
On the American League side, it looks like the Yankees captain is going to receive his second MVP award in three years, as Aaron Judge is primed to win yet again. Coming off of one of the best regular seasons of his career, Judge finished 2024 with 58 home runs and a career-high 144 RBI. Judge’s .322 average, .458 OBP, and his 1.159 OPS were all career highs for the slugger as well.
Also an AL MVP finalist is Juan Soto. He was a massive part of the American League champs’ lineup in his first year with the Yankees. Much like Judge, Soto saw a career year in a number of categories. His 41 home runs are a career-high. He also drove in 109 runs, hit .288, and walked 129 times, marking the fourth straight season Soto walked over 100 times.
Soto will likely finish third in voting behind both Judge and Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals.
Although he’s not expected to win, Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor turned a lot of heads en route to a nomination for the NL MVP Award. Coming off a slow start, he shined, finishing the season with 33 home runs, 91 RBI, and a .273 average. Lindor also
provided stellar defense and is credited as one of the main reasons the Mets were able to make the playoffs.
Lindor will likely finish second to Shohei Ohtani.
Much like MVP, two of the three finalists for Rookie of the Year are also Yankees, as both Austin Wells and Luis Gil are in the mix.
Considered by many as the favorite for the award, Gil looks to become the first Yankee pitcher to win the award since Dave Righetti in 1981, and he has a very good chance to do so. After making sporadic appearances in both 2021 and 2022, Gil finally became a mainstay in the Yankees rotation in 2024. Gil finished the season with a 3.50 ERA, 15-7 win-loss record, and a WHIP of 1.193.
Behind Gil and Orioles outfielder Colton Cowser, Yankees catcher Austin Wells will likely find himself in third place in Rookie of the Year voting. Wells featured for the Yankees in the back portion of 2023; he became the starting catcher this year and did not disappoint. Wells finished the season with 13 homers, 55 RBI, and a .229 average. Wells also finished as one of the league’s best framers and looks to be the starting backstop for the Yankees in the years to come.
In his first year as Mets manager, Carlos Mendoza architected one of the MLB’s best turnarounds, taking a team that was 11 games under .500 in June to the playoffs, and earning himself a spot as an NL Manager of the Year finalist.
Mendoza, who previously served as the Yankees bench coach, took over as Mets manager and brought stability and a competitive culture to a team that has long been in search of. It will be between Mendoza and Brewers manager Pat Murphy for the award.
