Major League Baseball held its annual postseason awards event before a sellout crowd in Las Vegas, with Aaron Judge (New York Yankees), Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles Dodgers), Paul Skenes (Pittsburgh Pirates) and Tarik Skubal (Detroit Tigers) taking home the top honors for their on-field performances of this past season.

Judge compiled near “Triple Crown” numbers (.331 Batting Average-53 Home Runs and 114 RB’s) to beat out Seattle Mariners slugging catcher Cal Raleigh, who hit 60 American League regular season home runs. Some felt that Raleigh deserved the MVP Award over Judge, especially given that his offensive output and sterling defensive work behind the plate were keys to the Mariners reaching the postseason for the first time since 2022.

Yankee outfielder Aaron Judge won the American League MVP award this year, his third. PHOTO: Arturo Pardavila

The counterargument centers on the disparity between the two players’ batting averages (.331 for Judge, .237 for Raleigh). Judge, playing in the New York market and receiving more national visibility, also played a significant role in this equation. He deserved the third AL MVP Award of his nine-year playing career as he became the third player in baseball history to pair a batting title with at least 50 home runs.

Cal Raleigh also deserves special mention for his season.

The National League Most Valuable Player Award went to Shohei Ohtani, the “Unique” hitting and pitching star with 55 home runs, 146 runs scored, one win with a 2.87 earned run average as a pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who garnered the fourth Most Valuable Player Award, three consecutively, in his astonishing career.

He has two with the Anaheim  Angels and two with the Dodgers, all by unanimous vote. He is the first player to win multiple MVP awards in the American and National Leagues. This reporter remains conflicted over the discussion of Ohtani being “the greatest baseball player of all-time” but understands that he may be “one of the best” to have played the game to date. 

The Cy Young Award, the top honor for pitching excellence, went to Paul Skenes in the National League and Tarik Skubal in the American League.

Skenes, the fireballing right-hander for the Pittsburgh Pirates, captured his first Cy Young with a record of 10 wins against 10 losses, 1.97 ERA, 216 K’s — despite meager run support from his Pirate teammates — while becoming only the third pitcher to win Rookie of the Year and Cy Young honors within their first two seasons.

Skenes became the second pitcher, behind Jacob DeGrom (2019 N.Y. Mets), to win the Cy Young Award, who won with 11 or fewer victories, a 2.43 ERA and 255 strikeouts.

Tarik Skubal, the Tigers dominating left-handed ace, picked up his second straight AL Cy Young Award after compiling the following statistics: 13 wins (six losses), 241 strikeouts in 195 innings pitched and a 2.21 earned run average.

Skubal, only the 12th pitcher to win back-to-back Cy Young Awards, is considered by many baseball people to currently be the best starting pitcher in the major leagues. Armed with a 100+ m.p.h. fastball, a deadly change-up and other solid breaking pitches, the lefty is the “man of the moment” on the Major League Baseball pitching scene. Skenes is the rapidly rising phenom and has been so since he arrived on the Major League Baseball landscape following an All-American career at Louisiana State University in 2023.

Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal won his second straight American League Cy Young Award. photo: Major League Baseball

With good health, both Skenes and Skubal could be dominant names in professional baseball for years to come. Both the Pittsburgh Pirates and Detroit Tigers franchises are pinning their hopes on Skenes (23 years old) and Skubal (28 years old). With staggering trade offers on the table for Skenes, the Pirates may move him instead of waiting for him to leave for a bigger market franchise in the future. Meanwhile, the Detroit Tigers are locked in on Tarik Skubal for the immediate future.

Others to receive prestigious postseason awards are as follows:

National League Gold Glove winners: catcher-Patrick Bailey (Giants), 1B-Matt Olson (Braves), 2B-Nico Hoerner (Cubs), 3B-Ke’Bryan Hayes (Reds), SS-Masyn Winn (Cardinals), LF Ian Happ (Cubs), CF-Pete Crow-Armstrong (Cubs), RF Fernando Tatis (Padres), pitcher-Logan Webb (Giants), Utility-Javier Sanoja (Marlins).

Platinum Glove/best defensive player winner: Tatis Jr.

American League Gold Glove Winners: catcher-Dillon Dingler (Tigers), 1B-Ty France (Blue Jays), 2B-Marcus Semien (Rangers), 3B-Maikel Garcia (Royals), SS-Bobby Witt Jr. (Royals), LF-Steven Kwan (Guardians), CF-Ceddanne Rafaela (*Red Sox), RF Wilyer Abreu (*Red Sox), pitcher-Max Fried (Yankees), utility-Mauricio Dubon (Astros).

Platinum Glove Winner: Witt Jr. (Royals)

Outstanding Designated Hitter: Shohei Ohtani hit .282 while breaking his own Dodgers franchise record with 55 home runs, winning the award for the fifth straight time, tying David Ortiz’s record.

Silver Slugger Awardees
National League: Catcher-Hunter Goodman (Rockies), 1B-Pete Alonso (Mets), 2B-Ketel Marte (Diamondbacks), 3B-Manny Machado (Padres), SS Geraldo Perdomo (Diamondbacks), OF-Juan Soto (Mets), Corbin Carroll (D-backs), Kyle Tucker (Cubs), DH-Shohei Ohtani, Utility, Alec Burleson (Cardinals), Team: Dodgers.

American League: Catcher-Cal Raleigh (Mariners), 1B-Nick Kurtz (Athletics), 2B-Jazz Chisholm (Yankees), 3B-Jose Ramirez (Guardians), SS-Bobby Witt Jr. (Royals), OF-Aaron Judge (Yankees), Byron Buxton (Twins), Riley Greene (Tigers), DH- George Springer (Blue Jays), Utility: Zach McKinstry (Tigers) ,Team: Yankees.

Hank Aaron Award winners: Ohtani (Dodgers), Judge (Yankees)- repeat winners, marking the third time each player has won the award. The Aaron Award annually recognizes the best offensive performers in the National and American Leagues.

Top Relievers:

National League: Edwin Diaz (Mets-third-time winner).

American League: Aroldis Chapman (*Red Sox-second-time winner.)

Jackie Robinson Award (Rookie of the Year):

National League: catcher Drake Baldwin (Atlanta Braves), 10th Braves player to win the award.

American League: 1B Nick Kurtz (Athletics-unanimous selection)

Roberto Clemente Award (Humanitarian/Community Service): Mookie Betts (Dodgers)

Congratulations to all recipients.