The hot stove is just starting to warm up with the Winter Meetings approaching in early December, but first, it's time to hand out some hardware.
MLB's best from the 2024 season are being honored with awards voted on by the BBWAA (Baseball Writers Association of America), and some familiar faces are in the mix. Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani are looking to add another MVP to their collections, while Chris Sale and Zack Wheeler are two pitchers who are no stranger to being in the Cy Young discussion despite never winning the award.
Here's the day-by-day schedule for the awards, as well as everything you need to know about the major award finalists and winners:
- AL and NL Rookie of the Year awards: 6 p.m. ET, Monday, Nov. 18, on MLB Network
- AL and NL Manager of the Year awards: 6 p.m. ET, Tuesday, Nov. 19, on MLB Network
- AL and NL Cy Young awards: 6 p.m. ET, Wednesday, Nov. 20, on MLB Network
- AL and NL MVP awards: 6 p.m. ET, Thursday, Nov. 21, on MLB Network
In addition, here's a rundown of The Sporting News 2024 awards, as voted on by players, managers and league executives:
NL Rookie of the Year
Winner
Paul Skenes, Pirates
Paul Skenes is your 2024 National League Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year! pic.twitter.com/dkQkLZi7t0
— MLB (@MLB) November 18, 2024
| Player | Paul Skenes | Jackson Merrill | Jackson Chourio | Shota Imanaga |
| 1st Place | 23 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 2nd Place | 7 | 23 | 0 | 0 |
| 3rd Place | 0 | 0 | 26 | 4 |
| Total | 136 | 104 | 26 | 4 |
Finalists
Jackson Chourio, Brewers: The youngest player in baseball, Chourio suffered through a quiet first two months of his MLB career before morphing into one of the NL's most consistent hitters the rest of the way. While the slow start (and stardom of other contenders) might keep him from the award, Chourio proved he's the long-term face of the Brewers by hitting .275 with 21 home runs, a .791 OPS and 3.8 bWAR at just 20 years old.
Jackson Merrill, Padres: Merrill would run away with the Rookie of the Year award in the AL, where competition was lighter, but he had a rookie season to be proud of regardless of the hardware. The 21-year-old just got better as the year went on, batting .292 with 24 home runs, 16 stolen bases and an .826 OPS. Merrill produced a slew of clutch hits for the Padres, and he looks like a fixture on the NL All-Star roster for years to come.
Paul Skenes, Pirates: Skenes was unbelievable in his rookie season, posting a 1.96 ERA and 0.95 WHIP over 23 starts (133 innings). The 2023 No. 1 pick posted an 11.5 K/9 rate, striking out 170 batters and allowing only 10 home runs. A Cy Young finalist in his rookie season, Skenes faced tough competition from a talented group of NL rookies but has a stellar case to earn Rookie of the Year honors.
AL Rookie of the Year
Winner
Luis Gil, Yankees
Luis Gil is your 2024 American League Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year! pic.twitter.com/4bhKW4xdQ4
— MLB (@MLB) November 18, 2024
| Player | Luis Gil | Colton Cowser | Austin Wells | Mason Miller | Cade Smith |
| 1st Place | 15 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2nd Place | 10 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 3rd Place | 1 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 4 |
| Total | 106 | 101 | 17 | 16 | 12 |
Finalists
Colton Cowser, Orioles: Consistency was an issue for Cowser in his rookie season, but his power and defense were very real. The former No. 5 overall pick hit .242 with 24 home runs and a .768 OPS, finishing with a 3.1 bWAR after forcing his way into an everyday role in Baltimore.
Luis Gil, Yankees: Gil was the Yankees' surprise savior when Gerrit Cole missed the first 10 weeks of the season, putting together a stellar first half. He wasn't as effective in the second half, which included a brief IL stint due to a back injury, but the overall numbers are strong. Gil posted a 3.50 ERA over 29 starts, notching 171 strikeouts and allowing just 6.2 hits per nine innings to make up for some control issues.
Austin Wells, Yankees: Wells' bat caught fire early in the second half, though a severe slump in September likely ended his Rookie of the Year hopes. The former first-round pick hit just .229 with 13 home runs in 115 games, but is still ranked among the top AL rookies in WAR due to a high on-base percentage and strong work behind the plate.
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NL Manager of the Year
Winner
Pat Murphy, Brewers
The NL Manager of the Year Award winner is Pat Murphy of the @Brewers! pic.twitter.com/zjfSlNt0cJ
— MLB (@MLB) November 19, 2024
| Manager | Pat Murphy | Mike Shildt | Carlos Mendoza | Torey Lovullo | Rob Thomson |
| 1st Place Votes | 27 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2nd Place Votes | 3 | 19 | 6 | 2 | 0 |
| 3rd Place Votes | 0 | 8 | 12 | 2 | 0 |
| Total | 144 | 70 | 35 | 8 | 5 |
Finalists
Carlos Mendoza, Mets: A first-year manager, Mendoza held the Mets together after a sloppy start and kept the team believing. New York made it all the way to the NLCS, finishing 89-73 even while getting just one start out of Kodai Senga.
Pat Murphy, Brewers: The Brewers (93-69) defied all expectations in 2024, cruising to an NL Central title despite trading Corbin Burnes and losing Brandon Woodruff, Devin Williams and Christian Yelich to long-term injuries at different points. First-year manager Pat Murphy waited a long time to get his first full-time MLB managerial gig, but he made the most of it after Craig Counsell's departure and is a prime Manager of the Year contender.
Mike Shildt, Padres: It took some time, but Shildt helped put the Padres' clubhouse back together after a tumultuous 2023 season under Bob Melvin. San Diego finally looked more like a team than a grouping of contrasting personalities, and the result was a dominant second half that pushed the Padres 24 games over .500 despite tempered expectations entering the year.
AL Manager of the Year
Winner
Stephen Vogt, Guardians
The AL Manager of the Year Award winner is Stephen Vogt of the @CleGuardians! pic.twitter.com/sqqNxhulgx
— MLB (@MLB) November 19, 2024
| Manager | Stephen Vogt | Matt Quatraro | A.J. Hinch | Joe Espada |
| 1st Place Votes | 27 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 2nd Place Votes | 2 | 19 | 6 | 1 |
| 3rd Place Votes | 1 | 6 | 18 | 3 |
| Total | 142 | 73 | 41 | 6 |
Finalists
A.J. Hinch, Tigers: Hinch looked like he had no business being here until about the second week of August, when the Tigers went from deadline sellers to legitimate postseason contenders. Detroit was nearly unstoppable the rest of the way, turning their season around to finish 86-76 thanks in part to some excellent bullpen management. With Hinch at the helm, the Tigers reached the postseason for the first time since 2014.
Matt Quatraro, Royals: A 30-win improvement will make any manager a Manager of the Year finalist. Kansas City's front office deserves some credit, too, but Quatraro did an excellent job getting the Royals to believe they could defy the odds after finishing 56-106 in his first season. At 86-78, the Royals snapped a nine-year playoff drought.
Stephen Vogt, Guardians: The path to contention for the Guardians in 2024 was simple: just hit a little bit and let a strong starting rotation do the rest. Well, Cleveland's rotation came apart at the same early on due to injuries and underperformance outside of Tanner Bibee, but the Guardians still rode a scorching-hot first half to 92 wins, an AL Central title and ultimately an ALCS appearance. That's a credit to Vogt, a first-year manager who retired from playing just two years ago.
NL Cy Young
Winner
Chris Sale, Braves
Atlanta left-hander Chris Sale won the National League Cy Young Award, receiving 26 of 30 first-place votes. Sale, 35, had finished second, third, fourth, fifth (twice) and sixth (twice) in past Cy Young voting. Zack Wheeler finished second and rookie Paul Skenes third.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 20, 2024
| Pitcher | Chris Sale | Zack Wheeler | Paul Skenes | Dylan Cease |
| 1st Place Votes | 26 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 2nd Place Votes | 4 | 25 | 1 | 0 |
| 3rd Place Votes | 0 | 0 | 13 | 6 |
| Total | 198 | 130 | 53 | 45 |
Finalists
Chris Sale, Braves: The Braves took a chance on Sale after a handful of injury-riddled seasons in Boston, and they reaped the benefits. Sale went 18-3 with a 2.38 ERA, leading all qualified pitchers with a sparkling 2.09 FIP and 11.4 K/9 rate. Sale added 225 strikeouts to a career total that is pushing 2,500. He's a Cy Young finalist for the second time after seven consecutive top-six finishes from 2012-2018.
Paul Skenes, Pirates: Skenes was unbelievable in his rookie season, posting a 1.96 ERA and 0.95 WHIP over 23 starts (133 innings). The 2023 No. 1 pick posted an 11.5 K/9 rate, striking out 170 batters and allowing only 10 home runs. A larger sample size would have done wonders for Skenes' Cy Young case, but just becoming a finalist as a rookie puts him in rare territory. Skenes was named the 2024 N.L. Rookie of the Year already.
Zack Wheeler, Phillies: Wheeler is still chasing his first Cy Young Award, and he put together a strong bounce-back campaign in 2024 to assert himself as a finalist. The Phillies ace went 16-7 with a 2.57 ERA over exactly 200 innings of work, leading qualified NL pitchers with a 0.96 WHIP and posting 224 strikeouts. Narrowly the Cy Young runner-up in 2021, Wheeler is a prime contender once again.
AL Cy Young
Winner
Tarik Skubal, Tigers
Detroit left-hander Tarik Skubal won the American League Cy Young Award, receiving all 30 first-place votes. Skubal, who turned 28 today, had a true breakout season and led Detroit to the playoffs. Kansas City’s Seth Lugo finished second and Cleveland’s Emmanuel Clase third.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 20, 2024
| Pitcher | Tarik Skubal | Seth Lugo | Emmanuel Clase | Cole Ragans |
| 1st Place Votes | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2nd Place Votes | 0 | 14 | 9 | 3 |
| 3rd Place Votes | 0 | 9 | 7 | 6 |
| Totals | 210 | 93 | 66 | 48 |
Finalists
Emmanuel Clase, Guardians: Clase is the first reliever to be named a Cy Young finalist since 2008, and he earned every bit of it. The Guardians closer posted an unreal 0.61 ERA along with 47 saves over 74 appearances, finishing the year with a 0.66 WHIP. Clase allowed two home runs in the regular season and issued only 10 walks, making for one of the most dominant seasons by a reliever in MLB history.
Seth Lugo, Royals: Lugo wasn't even a starting pitcher two years ago, but the Padres took a chance by converting him back into a starter in 2023 and the Royals bet on him with a multi-year deal last offseason. Lugo posted a 3.00 ERA over 33 starts (206.2 IP), shattering his career-high with 181 strikeouts and helping push the Royals to the postseason.
Tarik Skubal, Tigers: Skubal was a wire-to-wire leader in the Cy Young conversation, fulfilling the preseason hype that surrounded him after a strong finish to 2023. The 27-year-old went 18-4 with a 2.39 ERA and 228 strikeouts over 31 starts for the Tigers, leading the AL with a 2.50 FIP and posting a 0.92 WHIP. Skubal was instrumental in leading the Tigers to a surprise postseason appearance.
NL MVP
Winner
Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers
What a year for Shohei Ohtani!
— MLB (@MLB) November 21, 2024
He is your 2024 NL MVP! pic.twitter.com/vem1A48lmU
| Player | Shohei Ohtani | Francisco Lindor | Ketel Marte | Marcel Ozuna | William Contreras |
| 1st Place Votes | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2nd Place Votes | 0 | 23 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| 3rd Place Votes | 0 | 7 | 13 | 6 | 3 |
| Total | 420 | 263 | 229 | 134 | 132 |
Finalists
Francisco Lindor, Mets: Lindor entered 2024 with five top-10 MVP finishes in his career, but he's a first-time finalist after a clutch year anchoring the Mets' lineup. He recovered from a slow start to lift New York to the postseason, batting .273 with 33 home runs, and .844 OPS and a 7.0 bWAR across 152 games. Between a red-hot bat and a strong glove, Lindor made a strong push for his MVP award in the second half.
Ketel Marte, Diamondbacks: Marte missed 26 games in 2024, but he was stellar when on the field for the Diamondbacks. The 31-year-old hit .292 with 36 home runs and a .932 OPS, setting a career-high with 95 RBI and a 155 OPS+. This is Marte's first time as an MVP finalist, though he finished fourth in 2019.
Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers: The playing field for the NL MVP race looked a bit more even with Ohtani limited to a DH role this season, but the $700 million man exceeded all expectations in his first season with the Dodgers. Ohtani hit .310 with 54 home runs and 130 RBI, posting a 1.036 OPS and a career-high 190 OPS+. All led the National League. He posted the first 50/50 season in MLB history, stealing 59 bases, and won his first World Series. An MVP win would be Ohtani's third overall and first in the NL.
AL MVP
Winner
Aaron Judge, Yankees
#AllRise once again for the MVP!
— MLB (@MLB) November 21, 2024
Aaron Judge is the 2024 AL Most Valuable Player! pic.twitter.com/ZPTruPEEni
| Player | Aaron Judge | Bobby Witt Jr. | Juan Soto | Gunnar Henderson | Jose Ramirez |
| 1st Place Votes | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2nd Place Votes | 0 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3rd Place Votes | 0 | 0 | 21 | 6 | 3 |
| Total | 420 | 270 | 229 | 208 | 184 |
Finalists
Aaron Judge, Yankees: Postseason aside, Judge was simply unstoppable in 2024. The 2022 AL MVP hit .322 with 58 home runs, 144 RBI and a 1.159 OPS, leading MLB in the latter three categories. Judge posted a career-high 10.8 bWAR, and his 223 OPS+ was the best by any player in a full season since 2004. This is Judge's third time as a finalist, and a win would make him a two-time MVP.
Juan Soto, Yankees: Soto was everything the Yankees hoped he would be in his first (and potentially only) season in New York. The four-time All-Star hit .288 with a career-high 41 home runs and a .989 OPS, appearing in all but five games and recording a career-high 166 hits. Still just 26, Soto will head into free agency with just about every factor working in his favor.
Bobby Witt Jr., Royals: Witt morphed into a superstar in his third MLB season, leading the league with a .332 AVG and 211 hits while propelling the Royals to a surprise postseason appearance. With 32 home runs, 109 RBI and a .977 OPS, Witt was one of the most impressive players in baseball in his age-24 season and is a first-time MVP finalist.
