"Juan Soto got absolutely robbed"; "That's so disrespectful to Bobby Witt Jr." - Fans in disbelief as Aaron Judge unanimously wins 2024 AL MVP award
On Thursday evening, Aaron Judge was announced as the 2024 American League MVP. The New York Yankees captain comfortably finished ahead of his teammate Juan Soto, with Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. finishing as the runner-up in the voting results.
Judge was the unanimous choice for the award, which was a major surprise for fans, who could not believe that Soto and Witt Jr. did not earn a single first-place vote despite both players delivering MVP-caliber seasons this year. They expressed their displeasure at the results on social media.
Aaron Judge made a slow start to 2024 before producing one of the best seasons from an offensive perspective in MLB history. He batted .322/.458/.701 during the regular season with 95 extra-base hits, including 58 home runs, 144 RBIs and an OPS+ of 223. At the same time, Judge also led the league with 133 walks, 392 total bases and 10.8 bWAR for the season.
Meanwhile, Bobby Witt Jr. was perhaps the best all-around player in the major league this year. He won the AL batting title with a .332/.389/.588 slash line, including 32 home runs and 109 RBIs. Witt Jr. also earned 31 stolen bases in addition to 211 hits this season, with 88 of them going for extra bases. He also bagged the first Gold Glove of his career and ended the year with 9.4 bWAR.
On the other hand, Juan Soto also delivered a stellar campaign after joining the Yankees on a one-year deal. He batted .288/.419/.569 in the regular season with a career-high 41 home runs, 109 RBIs and an OPS+ of 177. Soto posted 7.4 bWAR for the campaign, and he was also the best hitter for the Yankees in their postseason run to the World Series.
Fans certainly had plenty to say after Aaron Judge won the award unanimously. They voiced their thoughts on X/Twitter:
"Soto got absolutely robbed," one fan posted.
"That’s so disrespectful to Witt Jr.," another fan wrote.
"They really dont know ball," another fan said.
The negative comments continued to flow on X:
"Soto is way better, especially when it counts," one fan wrote.
"And people said Bobby had a chance," another fan said.
"Good thing it’s a regular season award," another fan posted.
Incidentally, Bobby Witt Jr. finished as the unanimous runner-up after all 30 votes for second place, while Juan Soto managed 21 third-place votes.
Aaron Judge wins second AL MVP of his career
Judge clinched his second MVP award after winning it for the first time in 2022 when he smashed the AL single-season home record with 62 home runs. He became the sixth Yankees player to win it on multiple occasions after Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris and Alex Rodriguez.
“I appreciate all the votes, all the support,” Judge said via MLB.com. “I honestly wouldn’t be in this position without my teammates, all the coaching we had this year. It’s such a blessing. I’ve got to thank God every day for this opportunity to be here, to wear pinstripes and do it in New York.”
Aaron Judge was on pace to break his own home run record this season but eventually finished just four behind the mark he set a couple of years back.