Sports
All-MLB Awards: Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge, Chris Sale headline first team
The 2024 All-MLB teams were revealed Thursday, honoring the best and second-best players at their positions regardless of league.
Whereas All-Star honors typically recognize a good first half, the All-MLB teams are meant to recognize a full season’s worth of accomplishments, like it’s counterpart in the NBA. And while more than 50 players can be named All-Stars in any given year, only 16 players are named to the first team.
Here are the players who were recognized as the top player at their position:
C: William Contreras, Milwaukee Brewers
1B: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Toronto Blue Jays
2B: Ketel Marte, Arizona Diamondbacks
3B: José Ramírez, Cleveland Guardians
SS: Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals
OF: Juan Soto, New York Yankees
OF: Aaron Judge, New York Yankees
OF: Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers
DH: Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers
SP: Chris Sale, Atlanta Braves
SP: Tarik Skubal, Detroit Tigers
SP: Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh Pirates
SP: Zack Wheeler, Philadelphia Phillies
SP: Corbin Burnes, Baltimore Orioles
RP: Emmanuel Clase, Cleveland Guardians
RP: Ryan Helsley, St. Louis Cardinals
And the second team:
C: Salvador Pérez, Kansas City Royals
1B: Bryce Harper, Philadelphia Phillies
2B: Jose Altuve, Houston Astros
3B: Manny Machado, San Diego Padres
SS: Francisco Lindor, New York Mets
OF: Jarren Duran, Boston Red Sox
OF: Teoscar Hernández, Los Angeles Dodgers
OF: Jackson Merrill, San Diego Padres
DH: Yordan Alvarez, Houston Astros
SP: Seth Lugo, Kansas City Royals
SP: Dylan Cease, San Diego Padres
SP: Shota Imanaga, Chicago Cubs
SP: Framber Valdez, Houston Astros
SP: Michael King, San Diego Padres
RP: Mason Miller, Oakland Athletics
RP: Kirby Yates, Texas Rangers
The teams were announced at a show in Las Vegas, with honors such as the Comeback Player of the Year Awards (Chris Sale and Garrett Crochet) and Relievers of the Year (Emmanuel Clase and Ryan Helsley) also unveiled. The show was headlined by “Daily Show” veteran Roy Wood Jr., who certainly tried his best while working a room that included Mookie Betts and Tarik Skubal.
As with most award shows, the selections weren’t without controversy.
Betts over Jarren Duran for the final spot of the first-team outfield was an odd choice in particular. The Dodgers star was certainly great again this season, but he began the season playing exclusively at shortstop then missed nearly two months with a fractured hand. He played a total of 43 games at outfield this season, while Duran played 160 with similar offensive stats.
There was not, however, a debate about first-team DH. Shohei Ohtani took home that honor as well as his fourth straight Edgar Martinez Award recognizing the game’s best designated hitter. He will resume competing for All-MLB honors as a pitcher next season.