Who was the greatest offensive participant in every league throughout the common season?
That is the standards for selecting the annual winners of the Hank Aaron Award. The award was established in 1999 to mark the twenty fifth anniversary of Aaron breaking Babe Ruth's all-time profession residence run document, and the winners are decided by votes from a panel of Hall of Famers in addition to baseball followers. The 10 nominees in every league have been introduced Monday, and voting is open now and runs by Sunday, Oct. 13 at 11:59 p.m. ET.
Here is a rundown of this yr's Hank Aaron Award nominees:
Yordan Alvarez, Astros
Alvarez exceeded 30 residence runs for the fourth straight yr as he despatched 35 balls out of the yard. He additionally racked up a career-high 71 extra-base hits. Yet Alvarez has all the time been a lot greater than a slugger. He ranked amongst the Top 10 in the huge leagues in common (.308), on-base proportion (.392) and OPS (.959). Meanwhile, Alvarez lowered his strikeout fee to a career-best 15%.
Jarren Duran, Red Sox
Duran had a breakout season in Boston. He racked up 48 doubles and 14 triples, each of which have been the most in the AL. Add in his 21 residence runs, and Duran completed with 83 extra-base hits, fourth-best in MLB. He additionally recorded 34 stolen bases, making him the third participant in franchise historical past to register a 20-30 season (Jacoby Ellsbury and Mookie Betts).
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays
After a sluggish April, Guerrero kicked into excessive gear at the plate, posting a .345/.412/.590 slash line over the season’s subsequent 5 months. The 2021 AL winner of the Aaron Award, Guerrero ended this season with 30 residence runs, 103 RBIs and a .323 common. He recorded a career-high 199 hits and struck out simply 13.8% of the time.
Gunnar Henderson, Orioles
The reigning AL Rookie of the Year took his sport to a different stage in 2024, highlighted by 37 residence runs, 21 stolen bases and an .893 OPS. Henderson turned simply the second Oriole, age 23 or youthful, to tally a minimum of 30 homers and 20 steals, becoming a member of Manny Machado. Henderson’s 118 runs scored ranked fourth in the AL and have been the most by an Oriole since Roberto Alomar in 1996.
Aaron Judge, Yankees
The Yankees’ captain was the AL recipient of the Hank Aaron Award in 2022, a yr by which he belted 62 residence runs. And his 2024 season was arguably higher. Besides main the Majors with 58 homers, Judge turned the first participant to document a minimum of 140 RBIs since Prince Fielder and Ryan Howard in 2009. Judge turned in a .322 batting common, and his 1.159 OPS was the greatest by any certified hitter over a full season since Barry Bonds in 2004.
José Ramírez, Guardians
With 39 dingers and 41 steals, Ramírez joined Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani as the solely gamers this season with a minimum of 30 residence runs and 40 stolen bases. He complemented his power-speed totals by rating amongst the AL’s prime 5 in doubles (39), runs scored (a career-best 114) and RBIs (118).
Brent Rooker, A’s
Rooker recorded his second straight 30-homer marketing campaign en path to ending with 39 dingers. His .293 common was the greatest by an A’s participant in a 30-homer season since Miguel Tejada in 2002. In his second full Major League season, Rooker drove in 112 runs and ranked sixth in the AL with a .927 OPS.
Anthony Santander, Orioles
Santander put himself in a gaggle with the likes of Mickey Mantle and Chipper Jones throughout his highly effective 2024 season. He turned the eighth switch-hitter in MLB historical past to succeed in the 40-homer mark and the first to do it since Lance Berkman and Carlos Beltrán in 2006. After incomes his first All-Star choice, the 29-year-old Santander completed the yr with 91 runs and 102 RBIs to associate with his 44 residence runs.
Juan Soto, Yankees
Soto’s first season with the Yankees was a smashing success. He set career-highs in runs (128, most in the AL), hits (166), residence runs (41), extra-base hits (76) and slugging proportion over a full season (.569). The 25-year-old was named an All-Star for the fourth time and registered greater than 100 RBIs for the third time. Among AL gamers, Soto’s .419 on-base proportion and .988 OPS have been second solely to teammate Judge.
Bobby Witt Jr., Royals
Talk about filling up the stat sheet: Witt turned the first participant in AL/NL historical past to document a minimum of 40 doubles, 30 residence runs, 30 stolen bases and 10 triples in a single season. He additionally made historical past as the first shortstop with a number of 30-homer, 30-steal seasons. He tallied 125 runs and 109 RBIs. Witt led the Majors with 211 hits and a .332 batting common en path to capturing Kansas City’s first batting title since George Brett in 1990.
William Contreras, Brewers
Contreras has emerged as one among the top-hitting catchers in baseball. The 26-year-old backstop improved on a powerful first yr in Milwaukee in 2023 to earn his second All-Star look in '24. Contreras paced NL catchers in homers (23), RBIs (92) and OPS (.831) as Milwaukee received an NL Central title.
Elly De La Cruz, Reds
De La Cruz is one among the most electrical gamers in the Majors. His potent mixture of pace and energy makes him a risk in a number of methods. He bopped 25 homers, scored 105 runs and led the bigs in stolen bases for most of 2024. His 67 swipes have been eight greater than anybody else.
Freddie Freeman, Dodgers
Freeman remained not only a regular and dependable presence in the Dodgers' lineup, but additionally one among MLB's prime hitters. The lefty topped 20 homers for the eighth consecutive full season, was nonetheless one among the Majors’ greatest at getting on base (.378 OBP) and ranked amongst the NL's Top 10 in OPS (.854).
Bryce Harper, Phillies
Harper continued being a pressure in the coronary heart of the Phillies' lineup regardless of enjoying a brand new place (first base) and coping with nagging accidents all through the yr. He secured his fifth season of 30 or extra homers in 2024 and led all certified first basemen in doubles (42) and OPS (.898).
Francisco Lindor, Mets
Lindor put collectively an MVP-worthy season for the Mets in 2024. He reached 30 homers for the second straight season and completed amongst the prime three NL shortstops in residence runs (33), RBIs (91), doubles (39), common (.273), slugging (.500) and OPS (.844). That OPS was Lindor’s greatest since 2019.
Ketel Marte, D-backs
Despite lacking a while late in the season on account of harm, Marte comfortably led all NL second basemen in nearly each main offensive class, together with common (.292), homers (career-high 36), RBIs (career-high 95), runs scored (93) and OPS (.932). He acquired his second All-Star choice this season and produced 61 extra-base hits in 136 video games.
Jackson Merrill, Padres
Merrill's bat was one among the extra nice surprises of the 2024 season, offering him a powerful case for NL Rookie of the Year. The lefty slugger paced all certified rookies in hits (162), common (.292), RBIs (90) and whole bases (277). His 24 residence runs have been the most amongst NL rookies.
Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers
What's left to say about Ohtani? He turned the first member of the 50-50 membership, the first participant to succeed in 400 whole bases in a season since 2001 and seemingly produced runs at will. He completed the yr with 54 homers and 59 stolen bases whereas additionally racking up 99 extra-base hits. That was the most by any participant since Derrek Lee did the similar in 2005.
Marcell Ozuna, Braves
Ozuna continued to amaze, as he cemented his re-emergence as one among baseball's greatest offensive threats after struggling from 2021 by the begin of May 2023. After flirting with a Triple Crown for a lot of this season and falling only one residence run shy of his second straight 40-homer, 100-RBI marketing campaign with the Braves, it is clear that this model of Ozuna is the actual one. His .924 OPS trailed solely Ohtani and Marte in the NL.
Kyle Schwarber, Phillies
Schwarber established himself as the sport's biggest lively leadoff hitter — thanks to fifteen leadoff dingers this season, a brand new single-season document. Schwarber was an on-base machine atop the Phillies' lineup, whether or not he was clubbing lengthy balls (38) or taking walks (an NL-high 106). He racked up 104 RBIs for the second consecutive season and set a private greatest with 110 runs.
