LOS ANGELES, CA — Seeing as baseball is in the gambling business, here is something that you may want to wager on. Who will be the 2024 LatinoMVP award winners this year? First, I do not see anyone repeating from the Class of 2023. The AL LatinoMVP is hands down Yankees’ superstar Juan Soto of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, with the NL LatinoMVP going to his countryman, Braves Marcell Ozuna, also from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Both players have been powerhouse figures for their contending organizations. In Soto’s case, he was the missing piece of the puzzle for this team that last won a World Series in 2009. Without him, the Yankees would be way behind the Orioles in the AL East. Aaron Judge is having a monster year, but he alone can not carry the team. This is Judge’s eighth MLB season, and he has never been to a World Series, let alone win one.
Juan Soto crosses home plate on Tuesday night after his 35th home run of the season, tying his career high. Moments later, Aaron Judge hit an opposite-field HR to mark his 45th blast of the year. Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports.
In his second season, Judge hit 52 home runs with 114 RBIs, and the Yankees came in second in the AL East. In 2022, he hit 62 home runs with 131 RBIs, and again, the Yankees fell short of getting to the World Series. Soto in the lineup gives the Yankees a one-two punch that sends shivers down the spine of every pitcher who has to face him and Judge. They have now hit five back-to-back home runs this season — one shy of the Yankees’ franchise record set by Johnny Damon and Mark Teixeira, oddly enough, in 2009.
Juan Soto has all of Yankee Land excited on a nightly basis – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
Soto would also be MLB’s MVP in the American League, if not for the year Judge is having. So again, he is running away with the 2024 American League LatinoMVP, just like he did in 2021 for the NL LatinoMVP.
As for Ozuna, he has been the most consistent and productive everyday player for the Braves and has helped enormously in keeping the Braves close to the powerful 2024 Phillies.
Marcell Ozuna putting up LatinoMVP numbers as the Braves compete for a postseason spot in the National League Wild Card race – Image Credit: Simon Lindenblatt/Latino Sports
So there you have it. The season still has about 36-40 games to go, and we all like to say, “Well, anything can happen.” But the chances that anyone out there will do enough to catch Soto and Ozuna are as likely as McDonald’s running out of french fries! So, as Major League Baseball says, “Place your bets, fans.” It’s perfectly legal now in most ballparks…
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Hector Beauchamp
August 22, 2024 at 9:35 am
Juan Soto all day every day
Fauris Marmol
August 22, 2024 at 12:30 pm
Juan Soto by a mile! He’s in NYC, he’s Dominican as well playing in the Bronx, he’s in a winning ball club, loved by the fans & the mlb! “Just give me my trophy 🤌🏽” for Juan Soto! 💪🏽😂