Handing out midseason MLB awards -- from MVP to best rookie to biggest disappointment (2024)

It's not a midsummer night's dream: The 2024 MLB season is nearly half over.

The timing of this annual occurrence is always a bit incongruous, coming less than a week after the official start of summer, but facts are facts. We're halfway home. Barring any postponements, the 1,215th game of the campaign (out of an eventual 2,430) will be when the Cubs face the Giants at Oracle Park on Thursday afternoon.

And so, as we did last season, we're using this milestone as an excuse to dole out some recognition to players and teams that have dominated in the first half of the season.

We'll have a little fun with the categories in order to cast a wide net when looking at the leading narratives of 2024 baseball to date, but this will also serve as the June update for our monthly Awards Watch.

Practical and fun. What more could you want? Let's get into it.

Best half-season player: Aaron Judge, New York Yankees

If you've been to a Braves game in Cobb County at any point over the past few years, you're probably seen "The Freeze." For the uninitiated, the Braves have this super fast guy who dresses up in what is apparently some quasi-amphibian super hero getup and races a fan between innings at some point during home games. The fan gets a huge head start but "The Freeze" invariably runs him down -- and the fan seems to fall down near the finish line more often than not.

This season, Judge is "The Freeze" and every other player in baseball is that falling-down fan.

The MVP races aren't over by any stretch, but if the current trajectory of the American League race holds up, Judge will be a unanimous winner -- outdoing anything anyone in the National League does (especially now that Mookie Betts will be out for a chunk of the season) -- and stir conversations about the all-time great seasons. It's a tough trajectory to maintain, but Judge has never looked this complete as a player and a hitter. The only thing that could derail him is another one of the injuries that have bedeviled his career.

This is more than a hot streak, though that's certainly part of it, too. As recently as May 2, Judge was hitting just .197, on pace for 162-game totals of 29 homers and 88 RBIs. All he's done since then is hit .380/.492/.911 and with 162-game paces of 79 homers, 187 RBIs and 169 runs. That's not just Ruthian -- those are the kind of numbers that would make Babe Ruth's numbers Judgeian. They are the kind of numbers that's allowed Judge to overtake the early-season field of MVP hopefuls and establish himself as the clear favorite.

OK, so Judge isn't going to maintain what he's done over the past six weeks. (Right?) Still, when you mix in what he's done over that span with the sluggish beginning and the games he has missed, he's still on pace for 57 homers, 142 RBIs and 119 runs. He's hitting .300, which, in 2024, makes him a batting title contender and means he could potentially win the traditional Triple Crown (average, homers, RBIs) and the sabermetric version (leading in all three slash categories). If he can maintain any version of what he's done the past six weeks, those paces only become more eye-popping.

Finally, get this: Judge leads the AL in total bases and is five walks behind teammate Juan Soto for the AL lead. Elite walkers generally don't lead the total bases category. It rarely happens, but Judge did it in 2022 when he hit 62 homers. If he does it again, he'd join Ruth and Ted Williams as the only players to do it more than once.

AL MVP Top 10

1. Aaron Judge, New York Yankees (151.5 AXE)
2. Gunnar Henderson, Baltimore Orioles (150.1)
3. Juan Soto, New York Yankees (144.9)
4. Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals (137.9)
5. Jarren Duran, Boston Red Sox (137.2)
6. Steven Kwan, Cleveland Guardians (132.1)
7. Kyle Tucker, Houston Astros (131.7)
8. Jordan Westburg, Baltimore Orioles (129.3)
9. Jose Ramirez, Cleveland Guardians (128.2)
10. Adley Rutschman, Baltimore Orioles (128.1)

NL MVP Top 10

1. Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers (143.2)
2. Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers (132.9)
3. Ketel Marte, Arizona Diamondbacks (132.1)
4. Marcell Ozuna, Atlanta Braves (130.9)
5. Bryce Harper, Philadelphia Phillies (127.5)
6. Freddie Freeman, Los Angeles Dodgers (126.3)
7. Jurickson Profar, San Diego Padres (124.9)
8. Alec Bohm, Philadelphia Phillies (122.9)
9. Francisco Lindor, New York Mets (122.8)
10. Ezequiel Tovar, Colorado Rockies (122.1)

Best half-season pitcher: Ranger Suarez, Philadelphia Phillies

Between reductions in starter workload and increases in pitcher injuries, I don't get particularly amped about pitching-related awards races in the way I used to. This folds into the larger problem of star pitchers losing their cachet in the game of baseball, but it also makes it a drag when you follow a season on the lookout for historically significant performances.

Rather than seeing historic win paces or inning totals, we get notes like, "Paul Skenes' average fastball velocity was 100.1 mph, the highest of any Pirates starter in the pitch-tracking era (since 2008)." Skenes is amazing, but increasingly, I find such nuggets, and especially the developmental philosophies that lead to them, to be unhelpful, even alarming.

So even though pitcher wins, as they were originally designed, aren't good evaluative tools, I still find myself tracking them in hopes of an outbreak of 20-game winners. I've given up wild notions of someone winning, say, 30 of his 33 starts in a season. In place of such flights of fancy, we have to settle for seasons like the one Suarez has enjoyed so far -- and that's not so bad.

At present, Suarez is on pace to go 21-2 with a 1.75 ERA, hard numbers to undercut no matter how you contextualize them with more telling metrics. While his presence as our so-far best pitcher is completely based on metrics, the fact that those align with traditional numbers all fans can get excited about is fun.

AL Cy Young Top 10

1. Tanner Houck, Boston Red Sox (140.9)
2. Garrett Crochet, Chicago White Sox (138.1)
3. Seth Lugo, Kansas City Royals (136.8)
4. Tarik Skubal, Detroit Tigers (136.0)
5. Erick Fedde, Chicago White Sox (134.1)
6. Cole Ragans, Kansas City Royals (132.9)
7. Tyler Anderson, Los Angeles Angels (131.0)
8. Jack Flaherty, Detroit Tigers (127.4)
9. Corbin Burnes, Baltimore Orioles (127.0)
10. Logan Gilbert, Seattle Mariners (127.0)

NL Cy Young Top 10

1. Ranger Suarez, Philadelphia Phillies (141.5)
2. Reynaldo Lopez, Atlanta Braves (132.9)
3. Chris Sale, Atlanta Braves (130.7)
4. Tyler Glasnow, Los Angeles Dodgers (130.1)
5. Hunter Greene, Cincinnati Reds (128.2)
6. Zack Wheeler, Philadelphia Phillies (127.7)
7. Logan Webb, San Francisco Giants (127.3)
8. Trevor Williams, Washington Nationals (126.8)
9. Sonny Gray, St. Louis Cardinals (125.0)
10. Bryan Hudson, Milwaukee Brewers (123.5)

Top reliever: Emmanuel Clase, Cleveland Guardians

Clase moved into the top spot over the weekend. Since he's been one of the best closers in the game for a few years, you've probably heard of him.

Let's talk about No. 2: Bryan Hudson of the Milwaukee Brewers. Yeah, I know. You've never heard of him, right? That's probably not fair to assume for those who wade this deep into an analytics-heavy piece. Still, Hudson, a 27-year-old rookie righty with zero career saves, is completely anonymous to the general public. And he might be baseball's best reliever so far in 2024. Or he might not be.

To an extent, this a quirk. Hudson ranks as the top reliever by Baseball Reference WAR but seventh in Fangraphs version of the same stat, which leans heavily on the fielding-independent categories. He ranks third among all pitchers in Baseball Reference's win probability added and second in championship probability added. In short, whether you've heard of him or not, Hudson has been lights out.

Less esoterically, Hudson is 4-0 with a 0.86 ERA over 42 innings, has 11 holds in 12 save situations and has allowed just two of 15 inherited runners to score. He's had more high- and medium-leverage appearances than any other pitcher for the first-place Brewers.

Is Hudson really one of the two best relievers in baseball? Well, no. In terms of stature, performance and end-of-game duties, the real answer to that question is probably resurgent Texas closer Kirby Yates or another elite ninth-inning guy. But the metrics really love Hudson.

Reliever Top 10

1. Emmanuel Clase, Cleveland Guardians (123.8)
2. Bryan Hudson, Milwaukee Brewers (123.5)
3. Kirby Yates, Texas Rangers (121.4)
4. Mason Miller, Oakland Athletics (120.4)
5. Robert Suarez, San Diego Padres (117.5)
6. Andres Munoz, Seattle Mariners (116.8)
7. Jeff Hoffman, Philadelphia Phillies (116.6)
8. Matt Strahm, Philadelphia Phillies (114.6)
9. Ryan Helsley, St. Louis Cardinals (113.6)
10. Kenley Jansen, Boston Red Sox (113.1)

Top rookie: Luis Gil, New York Yankees

The AL rookie race is pretty tepid. Gil has been dynamite, but it's hard to say whether he will remain in the New York rotation now that Gerrit Cole is back. Gil's pre-2024 high-water mark for innings as a pro was 96, and that was way back in 2019.

He will no doubt play a key role in the Yankees' title quest, but it may not be the role we've seen him shine in so far. His last start -- seven runs allowed over 1⅓ innings against Baltimore -- was just one outing, but it was a reminder that he needs to be carefully monitored.

If Gil's pace is dampened, the rookie picture becomes a lot more muddled. But there are some exciting newcomers, especially on the NL side, between dynamic Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn, the exciting Jackson Merrill and, of course, Skenes, who is the real deal.

Second halves are generally more telling when it comes to rookie races, and this season looks like a prime example of that.

AL Rookies Top 10

1. Luis Gil, New York Yankees (120.1)
2. Simeon Woods Richardson, Minnesota Twins (112.4)
3. Wilyer Abreu, Boston Red Sox (110.9)
4. Davis Schneider, Toronto Blue Jays (110.1)
5. Cade Smith, Cleveland Guardians (109.9)
6. Hunter Gaddis, Cleveland Guardians (109.6)
7. David Hamilton, Boston Red Sox (108.8)
8. Justin Slaten, Boston Red Sox (105.6)
9. Daniel Schneemann, Cleveland Guardians (105.4)
10. Colton Cowser, Baltimore Orioles (105.1)

NL Rookies Top 10

1. Bryan Hudson, Milwaukee Brewers (118.9)
2. Joey Ortiz, Milwaukee Brewers (118.2)
3. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Los Angeles Dodgers (118.0)
4. Jackson Merrill, San Diego Padres (117.2)
5. Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh Pirates (115.8)
6. Shota Imanaga, Chicago Cubs (115.8)
7. Masyn Winn, St. Louis Cardinals (115.4)
8. Michael Busch, Chicago Cubs (115.2)
9. Gavin Stone, Los Angeles Dodgers (114.0)
10. Matt Waldron, San Diego Padres (114.0)

Most surprising player: Jurickson Profar, San Diego Padres

Where have you been, Profar? He's been around, of course. Lauded as perhaps baseball's best prospect at one time, he debuted in the majors in 2012. Since then, he's played for the Rangers, Athletics, Padres and Rockies before landing back with San Diego late last season.

Since returning to the Padres, Profar has become the hitter we once envisioned he'd be, even if he'll never be the star shortstop he was once destined to be.

Over 961 big league games entering this season, Profar was a .239/.322/.383 career hitter, good for a 92 OPS+. This season, he's leading NL-qualified hitters in on-base percentage (.413) and is second in average (.319), while having a robust OPS+ 158.

It took awhile, but it seems that Profar has finally arrived.

Best career start you haven't noticed: Royce Lewis, Minnesota Twins

Lewis, long a top-rated prospect, has been limited to just 86 games as a big leaguer because of some of the more horrific injury luck of any non-pitcher in professional baseball. This kind of continual disruption not only tamps down a player's raw production but also robs him of key developmental time.

Or at least that's the conventional wisdom -- but tell that to Lewis, whose 10 homers are the third most on the team despite him only having 75 at-bats this season. He is up to 27 career homers in just 323 at-bats, spread over three different seasons because of all the injuries. That gives him a rate of 11.96 at-bats per home run.

Lewis is a long, long, long way from qualifying for any kind of a career leaderboard. But if he did ... that rate of 11.96 AB/HR would rank as the fourth best in history, behind only Mark McGwire, Judge and Ruth, and just ahead of Barry Bonds and Josh Gibson.

Most exciting player: Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals

We gave this honor to Elly De La Cruz last season, and while the Reds shortstop has not gotten any less fun to watch, Witt's rise on the defensive side of the ball has made him an eye magnet no matter what team is up at the plate.

He's an aggressive hitter -- but not too aggressive -- and fills the stat columns with doubles, triples and the occasional 450-plus bomb, all while displaying game-breaking speed on the bases. And in terms of how the crowd at Kauffman Stadium responds to him, Witt has become the closest thing that franchise has seen to George Brett.

Best part: He's just getting started.

Most surprising team: Kansas City Royals

This remains in effect even as the Royals have started to regress towards preseason projections. Maybe that will continue, but their run differential suggests a club that should remain in the hunt for the long haul. The trade deadline will be key for them.

Despite losing 106 games last season, Kansas City has been in playoff position for virtually the entire 2024 campaign. Now, we did expect the Royals to be better after they were aggressive on the acquisition front this winter. But we did not expect them to actually be good.

Most disappointing team: Houston Astros

This did not figure to be the season the Houston dynasty crashed, and perhaps that outcome can still be avoided as the Astros appear to be catching fire now. If the current surge doesn't continue, the Houston title window might be slammed shut by the time we hit the trade deadline. Of course, there are plenty of non-Houstonians out there that wouldn't exactly be disappointed by this, but in terms of expectation versus results, the Astros have fallen way short.

Best team: New York Yankees

It's been a resurgent season for the Yankees, but their mission is far from complete. Despite their dominance, they are not a clearly-established front-runner. The Orioles keep nipping at their heels in the AL East, and the Phillies and Dodgers, among others, have been in their class in the circuit.

Still, and especially with the context of the injuries New York has overcome, this is shaping up as a memorable season in the Bronx. Judge is on his historic pace, Gil has been the story among rookies and Volpe has morphed into the impact shortstop Yankee fans were hoping he could be. And, oh yeah, Soto has been pretty good, too.

New York has been very well-rounded, ranking in the top two across MLB in both park-adjusted runs scored and runs allowed. Alas, so too have the Orioles, so this is going to be fun.

Mark Koenig Award: Jared Koenig, Milwaukee Brewers

Their last names are the same and they both were born in California, but, alas, there is no family connection. Nevertheless, I couldn't help but think of Mark the first time the Brewers visited Wrigley Field this year, as Jared is the first Koenig to play there since Mark retired in 1936. It's just how my mind works.

It was at Wrigley when, during the 1932 World Series, Ruth famously did or did not call his home run shot off the Cubs' Charlie Root. The subplot there was that the Series had been full of rancor largely due to Koenig's presence on the Cubs.

It wasn't his fault. Koenig, the starting shortstop for the famed 1927 Yankees, joined Chicago from the PCL after starting shortstop Billy Jurges went on the injured list with an "I got shot by a showgirl" injury. (No, really.)

Jurges made it back for the Series, but, in the interim, Koenig hit .353 as a fill-in and played a key role in Chicago securing the NL pennant. Yet the Cubs voted him just a half-share for the Series, enraging the Yankees, who were still very fond of their one-time teammate. (Hey, it was the Depression.)

It was that discord that led to Ruth -- allegedly -- calling his shot. Has anyone told Jared about all this?