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Two of the most impressive players in baseball took home a coveted award on Thursday.
Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge were named the 2024 Hank Aaron Award winners.
Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers won it in the National League while Judge of the New York Yankees took it home in the American League.
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For the second time in three years, Aaron Judge is the American League Hank Aaron Award winner! pic.twitter.com/jSo5OH0AZL
It marks the second time each player has won the award. Ohtani won it in the AL last season when he was with the Los Angeles Angels while Judge claimed it in 2022 when he broke the AL home run record.
Both players had outstanding years and ultimately finished their seasons in the World Series—Ohtani and the Dodgers came out on top as he won his first championship.
Ohtani, in his debut season with the Dodgers, had 54 home runs, 130 RBI, 38 doubles and seven triples. He had career-highs in homers, RBI and doubles while also posting a career-best .310 batting average. His 1.036 OPS was the second-best in the majors only behind Judge.
But Ohtani was more than just power at the plate this year as he also showed off his speed. He stole 59 bases, smashing his previous career-high of 26. He became the first player in MLB history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season.
Judge was his usual self at the plate in 2024. He blasted 58 homers, 144 RBI, 36 doubles and one triple. He had the best OPS in the majors at 1.159 while recording the third-best batting average at .322.
