The Baseball Writers Association of America announced the finalists for the 2024 awards. Those are top three vote getters (listed in alphabetical order) for the four biggest awards: MVP, Cy Young, Rookie of the Year and Manager of the Year. Winners will be revealed next week, as will each voter’s individual ballot.
MVP
American League
- Aaron Judge (Yankees)
- Juan Soto (Yankees)
- Bobby Witt Jr. (Royals)
National League
- Francisco Lindor (Mets)
- Ketel Marte (Diamondbacks)
- Shohei Ohtani (Dodgers)
Cy Young
American League
- Emmanuel Clase (Guardians)
- Seth Lugo (Royals)
- Tarik Skubal (Tigers)
National League
- Chris Sale (Braves)
- Paul Skenes (Pirates)
- Zack Wheeler (Phillies)
Rookie of the Year
American League
- Colton Cowser (Orioles)
- Luis Gil (Yankees)
- Austin Wells (Yankees)
National League
- Jackson Chourio (Brewers)
- Jackson Merrill (Padres)
- Paul Skenes (Pirates)
Manager of the Year
American League
- A.J. Hinch (Tigers)
- Matt Quatraro (Royals)
- Stephen Vogt (Guardians)
National League
- Carlos Mendoza (Mets)
- Pat Murphy (Brewers)
- Mike Shildt (Padres)
—————————————————–
There’s some intrigue with the Cy Young finalists in particular. Clase landing in the top three over a starter like Corbin Burnes or Cole Ragans is somewhat surprising. Cleveland’s closer had an all-time great showing — awards are voted on before his shaky postseason performance — but it’s rare for a closer to get into this territory. Clase becomes the first reliever since Francisco Rodríguez in 2008 to earn a top three finish.
In the National League, the biggest development is Skenes landing in the top three for Cy Young. The Pittsburgh righty had a sensational rookie season, posting a 1.96 ERA while striking out nearly a third of batters faced. He only started 23 games and logged 133 innings after being called up in May, however, so it wasn’t clear if his workload was sufficient to get into finalist territory. Skenes is the first rookie to secure a top three Cy Young finish since José Fernández in 2013.
The remainder of the balloting came without a ton of suspense. Ohtani and Judge are expected to win the MVP, while Skubal and Sale should secure the first Cy Young wins of their respective careers. Ohtani would become the 13th player in history to win MVP three times and would join Frank Robinson as the only players to win the award in each league. It’d be Judge’s second such win.
Things are more open with the awards for the top rookies and managers. There wasn’t a dominant rookie showing in the American League. All three NL finalists would have been prohibitive favorites to win the award if they played in the AL. (Even Shota Imanaga and Masyn Winn, who were squeezed out of a loaded NL field, might’ve won in the American League.) Manager of the Year is always one of the most difficult to predict given the difficulty in quantifying a manager’s impact when a team outperforms general expectations.
The awards will be announced as follows:
- Nov. 18: Rookie of the Year
- Nov. 19: Manager of the Year
- Nov. 20: Cy Young
- Nov. 21: MVP
People are always saying someone got snubbed but I don’t have serious issue with those nominees. Pretty good list IMO
The BBWAA awards are keeping things interesting! Clase and Skenes made surprising Cy Young runs, while Ohtani and Judge are just casually stacking up MVPs. And of course, the Manager of the Year race is a fun mystery, with everyone pretending their team didn’t nearly miss the playoffs!
Always drives me nuts writers decide this. Should be players and coaches voting this hands down…is what is I guess
I put more credence in the MLB Players Choice Awards and long for the days when players and coaches selected those in the All-Star game (back before it became a popularity contest).
I think it would be decidedly weird if the players voted for the baseball writers awards
I get your point, and agree, but players are kind of insulated though. They’re so laser focused that they don’t necessarily know the ins and outs of every club and manager,
How much does a player on the Reds knows about a manager in the AL West for example?
I hate that writers have say, but it’s tough with just players too.
mlb.com/awards/players-choice
I’m pulling for Mike Shildt in the National League as Manager of the year!!!
Not only has he turned the Padres record around —- they competed as a unit tremendously well in the playoffs!!!
Schiltd turned the whole attitude of the organization around to the positive side!!
Now the Padres think the are supposed to Win.
Not only win…… but defeat the Dodgers and be in the hunt for the National League Pennant every season !!!!
A case could be made for any of them. As a Mets’ fan, I hope Mendoza gets it. They were 11 games under .500 at the end of May in what was supposed to be a “transition year.”. This award is based on the regular season where the Mets squeaked into the playoffs on the final day, but they went on to take the best team in baseball this year to six games in the NLCS.
Not saying he was snubbed, but amazing that there were three people ahead of Elly De La Cruz. I had him ahead of Ketel Marte, but when I reviewed the stats i can’t really argue.
Same for Shota. Most years he would have beenin the ROY mix, but doesn’t make the top three this year.
Gunnar Henderson had a better year than Soto, but not so much that it’s worth making a deal about it. Soto benefited from all the speculation around his free agency and the fact that he and Judge were such an amazing tandem. Henderson didn’t have the narratives. But if it was a straight comparison of performance, Henderson was clearly the superior player.
Man that’s tough. Soto scored like 12 more runs and 18 RBI (these are guesses I looked drank a beer and forgot) in 50 less at bats. I see your side I’m just saying I give edge to Soto
Soto was the better hitter, but Henderson was a better baserunner and fielder, and plays a premium position. He helped his team in more ways than Soto.
If you’re using runs and RBI, you’re giving as much credit to their teammates as to either player.
Yes and no. First thing you need to do to score a run is get on base that’s a decidedly individual feat
Solo home run involves no teammates and accounts for a run and rbi.
They aren’t team specific metrics.
Runs and RBI totals certainly have a degree of dependency on teammates, as well as the offensive environments of various ballparks.
NY press always gives the Yankees the nod. There is just more of them, so more publicized. Jose Ramirez was more valuable than 2nd fiddle of the Yankees, Soto.
Soto had the better offensive year IMO – I do think he greatly benefitted hitting in front of one of the greatest offensive seasons we’ve seen outside the steroid era. Crazy that Soto is gonna get 600+ and is kinda a one dimensional player.
If Henderson was from NY, he would be in the Top 3. Henderson was the better all around player.
Gunnar fell off during the 2nd half
If he had kept his pace and hit 50 homers then that would’ve gotten him to top 3
This is the real answer, but it’s more fun to make up conspiracies about media bias.
Apparently Mason Miller can’t hold a candle to Gil, Wells, or Cowser? Ridiculous, these awards are a joke
Mason Miller had a great season on a bad team and I’d bet good money if the list was expanded to 4 he’s on it. Same season on the Yankees and he would be there. Not always fair but it’s the way it is
Shame on the BBWAA for putting Gil and Wells ahead of Gold Glover Wilyer Abreu. Again, they show their NEW YORK BIAS… at least my O’s bought low on True and Honest AL ROY winner Colton Cowser
Fellow Red Sox fan here with a word of advice: it’s never a good look for us to complain about media bias.
Also, truth be told, there isn’t any evidence for a clear NY media bias.
No media bias in NY? Jeter was a perennial Gold Glove winner. There’s your exhibit A.
@stymeedone, I agree. That NY media bias is giving Judge his 3rd MVP.
Gold Gloves are voted on by managers and coaches, not the media. Ridiculous as it was that Jeter won all those GGs, it is not evidence of media bias.
Frankly, the fact that Jeter never won an MVP, despite being the biggest star on a dominant franchise, is pretty compelling evidence that there’s not a bias towards NY players in voting. The last three Yankees to win the MVP (Judge in ’22 and ARod in ’05 and ’07) were clearly deserving.
There’s an NY media bias in overall coverage, without a doubt, but there’s no evidence it translates to awards.
Gold Gloves are not determined by the media.
65 innings
Mason Miller isn’t just my king, he’s a demigod on the mound. His power, precision, and poise make him untouchable—he’s a literal force of nature.
Well his ERA wasn’t 0.00
letsgo,
You should look up the literal definition of “literal.”
@tjmacari, Miller brings to memory another A’s reliever that won the ROY. Question is, who is going to be Miller’s “Boomstick”?
Ohtani seems like a lock, as a DH lol…
and I would love to see Skenes pull off ROTY/CY
I think giving it to Skenes would rob Merrill. He is only 20, had to change position at the last minute, and puts up numbers every day. It shouldn’t even be close, and I’m not a Padres guy either.
Bingo Iggy, and RIP Jose Fernandez.
Skenes pitched 133 innings in the majors. Wheeler pitched 200 innings. Wheeler gets my vote. Better WHIP, more innings and games, and tougher home park than Sale, but it is close,
Merrill is even younger than Skenes and player a full season with the fifth highest batting average at a premium defensive position. Merrill gets my vote, but it is close.
That NL CY Young is really hard to call.
Have to think Sale wins pretty easily.
Sale would have my vote. Wheeler is close and threw more innings so he has a case. Skenes doesn’t have enough innings imo; but, I’m sure he’s ROY with a CY or two later on down the line.
I Agree…. Sale and Skubal both ended up with the pitchers triple crown. Both should win the Cy Young awards
The only obvious winners from this list are Judge and Ohtani, pretty sure we all saw those two as winning the MVP.
Sale & Skubal are pretty much locks also.
I think he has a decent shot of winning. And “east coast bias” is normally reserved for the NY & Boston clubs, certainly not the Pirates.
This was for @3 finger. I think he has a decent shot of winning. And “east coast bias” is normally reserved for the NY & Boston clubs, certainly not the Pirates.
The sad thing is that Jackson Merrill won’t win the NL ROY because he isn’t a pitcher and the whole East Coast bias thing but all he did was play 156 games in center field, he had never played CF before this year, and made the All Star Team and the Padres would not have even made the playoffs if Merrill doesn’t play and he was electric…he had 5 or 6 games where he either tied the score or walked it off in the late innings…I would rather see a player that played every day at an All Star level, he was 20 years old when the Padres opened the season in South Korea, and propelled his team to the playoffs instead of a pitcher that played maybe half a season and only played every 5th or 6th game.
Skenes still better.
Agreed.
He was a better center fielder and hitter than Merrill?
Man, that Skenes guy is amazing.
Merrill had a ROY winning season just did it the wrong season.
Skenes was must see tv. He was an event
Skenes is the ROY. No doubt about it. Merrill could’ve played anywhere & Skenes is still the guy.
@jbigz12
Merrill would take the award if he played in the AL.
So was Merrill. Especially if you like go-ahead home runs.
si.com/mlb/padres/padres-center-fielder-joins-will…
si.com/mlb/jackson-merrill-hit-another-clutch-home…
No one tuned in to see if Merrill might hit a game winner
People tuned in just to see Skenes
These things are not the same
Merrill had a great year. No one is saying he didn’t. Wrong year for it.
@TheGr8One
Skenes captured everyone’s attention first. That’s probably why he’ll win.
But the award shouldn’t be about the “attraction”. It should be about the most impactful rookie of the year for his team. In that argument, Merrill takes it hands down. If anything, there should be a position player and pitcher award.
Skenes will probably win.
Skenes had a 1.96 ERA and 9 no decisions. Team gives him and extra run here and there and he’s at 15 wins in 23 starts and this isn’t a conversation. He did more than enough to earn it.
Will be interesting to see who wins, even though Skenes is probably the better player Merrill had more impact on winning. He won at least 6 games this year while Skenses pitched a great 5 innings once a week.
17/23 of Paul Skenes rookie appearances were longer than 5 innings.
He never gave up more than 4 ER in a game and that only happened once. Skenes was absolutely insane. The last 2 games he started are hard to even count towards the didn’t go 6 inning mark since they were obviously limiting his workload.
Baseball Reference says Skenes was worth more wins this year. Who would you say looks most like they could have a legitimate shot at a HOF career? Obviously it’s a very long way to go before any of them are considered.
Skenes had 5.9 bWAR in 133 IP. HOF starting pitchers averaged 73 bWAR. If Skenes duplicates another 11 seasons as he had this rookie year, he’s a likely HOFer with 1600 career IP and 2000 Ks. That’s how good he is.
@CardsFan57
Hall of Famers, you say?
Merrill is off to a great start. Only the second play to do a thing some guy named Mays did.
si.com/mlb/padres/padres-center-fielder-joins-will…
Honestly, I don’t pay much attention to obscure streaky type records. Merrill looked very good. He didn’t look like Willie Mays. I’d still vote Skenes more likely to reach the HOF.
@CardsFan57
That’s nice.
Merrill literally did something only Willie Mays has also done, so he literally did “look” like Willie Mays.
If both these players play like they did this year, they will both be Hall of Famers.
Jackson Merrill will be robbed if he doesn’t win this. However I do wish they would have separate ROY awards for pitcher/player in each league.
Skenes is different. If his health holds up he’s got a strong chance to be the best pitcher in the league. Haven’t seen a guy come up and be this dominant since Stras.
Asking for 11 more years at that level is a lot. Will he still be able to put up those numbers after the arm injuries these young pitchers all have?
It’s an incredibly long way from ROY to HOF.
I did say it’s obviosly a very long way before either is considered for the HOF.
Let’s instead say that an ERA+ of 214 is much more impressive than an OPS+ of 127. The fact that Skenes is also a finalist for the Cy Young award clearly signals who is going to win NL Rookie of the Year.
@Informed Not taking anything from Merill.
@stymeedone I don’t expect him to put up a 6.0 bWAR every season in 23 start but we can see where his ceiling is.
I’d have no objection to Merrill winning, but Skenes was probably the best pitcher in BB. Skubal & Sale pitched more innings, so they should get the C.Y., but Skenes had a much better ERA, and behind some questionable gloves.
Skenes had a much higher bWAR than Merrill in about only 2/3rds the playing time.
Shatkins for FO of the year anyone?. The team performed poorly, but they did very well in the hot dog sales, and hardly any complaints regarding cup holder sizes.
I thought Atkins made good trades at the deadline. He got a haul for Kikuchi.
Judge, Ohtani, Skubal, Sale, Cowser (should be Miller), Skenes, Hinch (but Vogt will get it), and Murphy.
MVP: Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani
Cy Young: Tarik Skubal & Chris Sale – Both have the top SIERA
ROY: Colton Cowser & Jackson Chourio but I’m sure the emotions will get to some people and Skenes will get it instead.
Manager: A.J. Hinch & Mike Shildt
“ ROY: Colton Cowser & Jackson Chourio but I’m sure the emotions will get to some people and Skenes will get it instead.”
Glad you listed 3rd and 4th place in the voting!
@jbigz12
We’ll, I don’t see your name on the list so 3rd or 4th best rookie is better than a nobody like you.
York I’m failing to see your name as well so your comment is like the biggest self own
Self awareness is a gift folks. Accept some.
@TheGr8One
You might have a point if I was the one saying what jbigz12 said. Instead, all I did was post my predictions and jbigz12 trolls my post, so I returned the favor. Now you’re here making a fool of yourself. Let me guess, you work for the circus as a clown?
No you’re wrong. I have a point you don’t want to see cause it’s your point against you. Do better next time you wanna call someone a loser who’s in the same boat you’re in lol
@TheGr8One
Maybe try explaining yourself instead of being a clown.
I explained myself
You said dude was a nobody for not being on a list
You are also not on said list making you a nobody as well
If you need it explained further I’ll need you to wait for recess to be over, finish 3rd period and come find me at lunch between chicken fingers at the middle school.
My reply was to jbigz12 who made some ridiculous claim about me listing 3rd and 4th place in the voting and I said I didn’t see his name on the list, so he’s a nobody. Not sure why all this faux outrage. Both of you have shown yourselves to be clowns.
The fact that you not being on the same list also makes you a nobody by your own words is escaping you how exactly? Like I’m smiling in sadness for you. I’m not going to say the same things any longer for you to come back having read half. Bet a weeks paycheck you breastfed into your teens…. Good luck champ.
It doesn’t matter if I’m a nobody. I made my picks, so why does that matter? You’re still proving me right that you’re a clown.
Nice to see the Royals well represented, although Witt and Lugo will finish second. Quantaro should win but I wouldn’t be surprised if any of the 3 AL Central managers win.
Whichever AL central manager wins, they should send a really nice thank you card to White Sox Management
Which ever NL Manager wins, they should send thank you cards to Marlins, Rockies, and Pirates. Every team got to play the White Sox this year. In division games are not what they once were.
AL ROY is incredibly weak compared to the NL this year.
Cowser is likely the 4th place finish in the NL. Maybe he edges out Chourio. But that’s very close.
Colt Keith had a really good season, should have been a finalist for AL ROY
Austin Wells is a joke
Agreed and I’ve been a Yankees fan since Thurman.
pat murphy deserves this. he did a helluva job with a roster that was depleted by trade and injury, and the guy is a legend in the baseball community, even though a lot of casual fans have never even heard of him. and it’s about time a brewers manager wins during this run after counsell got shafted for so many years (and then did some shafting of his own when he bolted for chicago).
Am I trippin’ or did they leave my boy Shota off the ROTY ballot?
That AL MOY list has three deserving winners.
I don’t understand how Wells beat Mason Miller, Wilyer Abreu, Ceddane Rafaela, Wyatt Langford or Even Nolan Schanuel.
Anyway, lets see how wrong i get this:
AL
MVP
Aaron Judge
Cy Young
Tarik Skubal
ROY
Colten Cowser
MOY
Matt Quatraro
NL
MVP
Shohei Ohtani
Cy Young
Chris Sale
ROY
Paul Skenes
MOY
Pat Murphy
Mason Miller was great and he had 28 saves on a terrible team. Those things do matter. Chin up you know you’ve got one of the best closers in the game. He’s in the conversation if he gets some help from the team
What’s up with the melodrama? Just announce the winners and be done.
My most difficult decision would be Hinch vs. Vogt. Also, my AL MVP would be Witt, even though he has little chance.
Why is nobody challenging the length of time between the end of the season and the announcement of these final awards? MLB has a difficult time maintaining interest in the game compared to the NFL and NBA and Rob Manfred agrees they should allow over three weeks to pass before the winners of the biggest awards are announced. This makes no sense at all. Announce these the night before the World Series begins when you have the sporting world’s attention — not after the college basketball season tips off, the NFL is in the heart of the season, and the NHL & NBA are underway. It gets lost in the shuffle.
I’m old enough to remember when the NBA held its draft before the playoffs ended. Now it’s like every sport tries to milk the attention year-round.
Of course they try to milk attention all year round.
Wells instead of Abreu? Are they serious?
I’m just hanging out to see if a Brewer manager can finish second in Manager of the Year five times in seven years. Counsell finished 2nd in 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023.
here comes the big market bias…