Yankees' Superstar Duo Announced as Finalists for Prestigious Award

Yankees’ captain Aaron Judge and fellow superstar outfielder Juan Soto were announced as finalists for the prestigious Hank Aaron Award.

Sep 26, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Aaron Judge (99) celebrates with right fielder Juan Soto (22) after hitting a two run home run during the seventh inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

To nobody’s surprise, the New York Yankees’ dynamic duo headline the list of finalists for this year’s Hank Aaron Award. 

On Monday, Major League Baseball announced the finalists for the prestigious award and both Yankees superstar outfielders, Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, were among the ten nominees in the American League. The Hank Aaron Award is handed out to the top offensive player in each league as voted on by fans and a panel of Hall of Famers.

Judge had a truly historic season at the plate, leading the Yankees to an AL East title and the top playoff seed in the AL. The Captain slashed .322/.458/.701 with an OPS of 1.159, 58 home runs and144 RBI. He led the majors in all previously mentioned statistical categories minus batting average.

He cemented his place in Yankees history becoming just the fourth player to hit 40 or more home runs in three separate seasons. The other three on the illustrious list are Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Mickey Mantle. Judge won the Hank Aaron Award in 2022 when he hit 62 home runs and notched 131 RBI. If Judge were to win this year, he would join teammate Giancarlo Stanton as a multiple Hank Aaron Award recipient.

Juan Soto’s first season in the Bronx exceeded expectations by all measures. The young phenom was acquired in a blockbuster deal in the offseason with the San Diego Padres. Soto finished the year slashing .288/.419/.569 with a career-high 41 home runs and 109 RBI. His .988 OPS was second only to Judge among American League batters. 

MLB established the Hank Aaron Award in 1999 to honor the 25th anniversary of Aaron breaking the league’s all-time home run record previously held by Babe Ruth. Four of the last five winners of the AL Hank Aaron Award have gone on to win the AL MVP Award in the same season. The other nominees this year are Yordan Alvarez, Jarren Duran, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Gunnar Henderson, Jose Ramirez, Brent Rooker, Anthony Santander, and Bobby Witt Jr. 

The winners of the 2024 Hank Aaron Awards will be announced on November 14th at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, Nevada.