Aaron Judge named Baseball America's Player of the Year, Shohei Ohtani finishes behind him

After the MLB regular season wrapped up, the season's annual awards were unveiled. On the 7th, Baseball America (BA), a respected US baseball publication, announced its "Player of the Year," with New York Yankees leader Aaron Judge retaining the award, achieving back-to-back wins and earning this distinction for the third time in his career. Although Los Angeles Dodgers' two-way star Shohei Ohtani continued to display elite power and all-around skills, he missed out on the award.

BA's panel highlighted Judge's remarkable offensive performance this season: a batting average of .331, securing his first batting title, along with 53 home runs and 114 RBIs, dominating the league with his power. His on-base percentage of .457, slugging percentage of .688, and OPS+ of 215 place him among the rare players since World War II to achieve "Triple Crown-level metrics." The magazine described him as "a right-handed monster combining power and skill in an era dominated by left-handed hitters," calling him a symbol of the modern power hitter.

In comparison, Shohei Ohtani maintained MVP-level performance this season. According to official MLB data, he led the entire league in runs scored (146), and topped the National League in seven offensive categories including slugging percentage, total home runs, and OPS. Although he started only 14 games as a pitcher this year, posting a 2.87 ERA and a 1-1 record, he is still regarded as a representative of "remarkable offensive efficiency combined with pitching value." BA commented that Ohtani's limited playing time on both pitching and hitting sides and overall fewer appearances might have influenced the final voting outcome.

Meanwhile, another authoritative American baseball magazine, Baseball Digest, also announced its Player of the Year results, with Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh winning the award for the first time, and Judge and Ohtani placing second and third respectively. Foreign media noted this reflects differing evaluation criteria—Baseball America emphasizes batting dominance, while Baseball Digest values overall season contribution and team performance more highly.

As the playoffs reach their climax, this list is seen as a signal that Judge holds an advantage in the race for annual individual awards. US media commented that although Ohtani did not repeat as BA honoree, he still demonstrated MVP-level impact by leading the Dodgers to the playoffs in his first year with the team.