Aaron Judge places second in 2017 American League Most Valuable Player Award

Awards season wrapped up with a disappointment for the Yankees. On Thursday night, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America announced Aaron Judge placed second in the American League Most Valuable Player Award voting. He had a monstrous season, but ultimately fell short of the honor. He received just two first place votes.

Judge absolutely played to a MVP caliber in 2017. Over 155 games, he hit .284/.422/.627. He led the league in home runs (52) and Isolated Power (.343). Judge also placed second in several other categories, including RBI (114), wRC+ (173), and WAR (8.2). He played a strong right field, as well, receiving a Gold Glove nomination.

The Yankees right fielder finished behind Jose Altuve and ahead of Jose Ramirez. The Astros second baseman took home the batting title en route to a .346/.410/.547 campaign. He had a more consistent season and that made the difference. The slide Judge suffered in late July and August ultimately cost him the prize.

With the major awards in the books, the book is officially closed on the 2017 season. Now the Yankees can focus on the task at hand for the offseason. Before we shift our attention though, some celebration is in order. Let’s give a big round of applause Judge and Luis Severino for their superb seasons!