Because of the way the season ended — and his season ended — there may be those who have forgotten what kind of year Aaron Judge had.
The kind of year that could potentially reward him with his second American League Most Valuable Player award in three seasons.
Judge, teammate Juan Soto and Bobby Witt Jr. of the Royals are the three finalists for a marquee award that will be announced Thursday night.
Judge, the favorite, could become the seventh Yankee to win multiple MVP awards, joining Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris and Alex Rodriguez.
The Yankees captain led baseball in many, including home runs (58), RBIs (144), on-base percentage (.458), slugging percentage (.701), and OPS (1.159). Even a relatively quiet end to his regular season, he threatened the franchise home run mark of 62 — which he set in 2022.
If not for his foot hitting the concrete base of the Dodger Stadium wall in 2023, he would have been on the verge of winning three straight MVP awards.
Judge made major league history two seasons ago — and just authored a better campaign in many ways.
“We're watching an all-time great player now, really. [with] “What we're seeing,” manager Aaron Boone said after Judge's 58th homer. “Obviously his power speaks for itself, but he takes a lot of pride in being a good hitter. Like a lot of great players in any sport, he's determined and obsessed with trying to get a little better at baseball year after year.”
“I don't want to exaggerate and say it has gone to another level [when he] He hit 62 homers and won the MVP award. I don't know if it's another level, but is he an increasingly better hitter today than he was then? “I think the answer is yes.”
The primary competition for judge this year will be Witt, who has done everything for the Royals.
The 24-year-old won a Gold Glove for his work at shortstop, led baseball with a .332 average, posted a .977 OPS and hit 32 home runs with 31 steals in 161 games.
Kansas City entered the playoffs as a wild card and fell to the Yankees in the ALDS.
Soto had one of the greatest walk-on years in baseball history and is still somewhat overshadowed by Judge.
The right-hander managed a .989 OPS with a career-best 41 home runs and led the AL with 128 runs scored.
Barring a spectacular event, the judge will win the hardware – but what's more important to the judge is the hardware he and the team don't win.
The Yankees fell short of making the World Series, losing in five games to the Dodgers and losing the final game largely due to three errors that included dropping a fly ball by Judge.
In 14 playoff games, Judge went 9-for-49 (.184) with three home runs, 20 hits, and a .752 OPS.
His bat woke up by the end of the series against the Dodgers, but it was too late.
Francisco Lindor is unlikely to become the Mets' first ever MVP.
After a great two-way season, the club team reached the final with the Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte and favorite Shohei Ohtani.
The Dodgers star became the first 50-50 player ever, striking out 54 homers and stealing 59 bases, in an offensively dominant season that almost certainly will reward him with an MVP award Thursday but that didn't include any defense for a player coming off Tommy John surgery.
Lindor, meanwhile, was typically excellent at the elite position and often carried the Mets through a surprise run first to a playoff berth and then to the NLCS, finishing with an .844 OPS with 33 homers and 29 steals in 152 games.
