The Baseball Writers Association of America announced its finalists for the MVP, Cy Young, Rookie of the Year and Manager of the Year awards on Monday. Below, we'll list out the finalists and break down their respective résumés.

AL MVP

No surprises here.

Aaron Judge led all of baseball in homers (58), RBI (144) and OPS (1.159). He is the overwhelming favorite to win this award.

In many years, Bobby Witt Jr. might have been the choice after hitting .332 with 32 homers, 109 RBI, 211 hits, 125 runs, 31 steals and a .977 OPS. He led all of baseball in batting average and hits.

Finally, Judge's teammate on the New York Yankees, Juan Soto, hit .288 with 41 homers, 109 RBI, 128 runs and a .989 OPS. It was a fantastic season, but he'll likely finish third in the running.

NL MVP

Shohei Ohtani is the resounding favorite to win this award after becoming first player in MLB history to ever record a 50-50 season. In total, he hit .310 with 54 home runs, 130 RBI, 134 runs, 59 stolen bases and a whopping 1.036 OPS while leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to the best record in baseball and a World Series title.

Francisco Lindor was excellent in 2024, hitting .273 with 33 homers, 91 RBI, 107 runs, 29 stolen bases and a .844 OPS. So was Ketel Marte (.292 with 36 homers, 95 RBI, 93 runs, .932 OPS). But neither was Ohtani. It's his award and we all know it.

AL Cy Young

Emmanuel Clase was brilliant for the Cleveland Guardians out of the bullpen this season, notching an AL-leading 47 saves to go along with a 4-2 record, 0.61 ERA, 0.65 WHIP and 66 strikeouts in 74.1 innings. He would be the first reliever to win the Cy Young Award since Éric Gagné did so for the Dodgers in 2003.

Seth Lugo went 16-9 in 33 starts for the Kansas City Royals in 2024, posting a 3.00 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 181 strikeouts across 206.2 innings. He was a workhorse for the Royals as they returned to the postseason.

Tarik Skubal is the favorite for the award after tying for the MLB lead in wins (18), leading all of baseball with 228 strikeouts to go along with an AL-best 2.39 ERA. He added a 0.92 WHIP across 192 innings.

NL Cy Young

The NL Cy Young may end up being one of the tightest races of them all.

Chris Sale is the frontrunner after sharing the MLB lead for wins with 18 and leading the sport with a 2.38 ERA. He also led the National League in strikeouts (228) and finished with a 1.01 WHIP in 177.2 innings.

Zack Wheeler is his tightest competition after leading the National League in WHIP (0.95) to go along with a 16-7 record, 2.57 ERA and 224 strikeouts in 200 innings. Sale has the slight statistical edge, but Wheeler's 22.1 extra innings of work is worth consideration.

And then there is Paul Skenes, who finished his rookie season with an 11-3 record to go along with a 1.96 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 170 strikeouts in 133 innings. Had he been called up sooner, he may have posted astronomical stats. As it stands, he probably doesn't have the full body of work to win the award this year, but it appears as though many will be in his future.

AL Rookie of the Year

Colton Cowser had a fantastic season for the Baltimore Orioles, hitting .242 with 24 homers, 69 RBI, 77 runs and a .768 OPS.

Then there were the pair of Yankees on the list, starting pitcher Luis Gil (15-7 with a 3.50 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 171 strikeouts in 151.2 innings) and catcher Austin Wells (.229 with 13 homers, 55 RBI and a .718 OPS).

NL Rookie of the Year

Let the debate over whether a pitcher or everyday player is more valuable to his team. Skenes' numbers are hard to deny, however.

Jackson Chourio was fantastic in 2024 in his own right, hitting .275 with 21 homers, 79 RBI, 80 runs, 22 steals and a .791 OPS. A star has been born.

And Jackson Merrill helped ease the offseason departure of Juan Soto, hitting .292 with 24 homers, 90 RBI, 77 runs, 16 stolen bases and a .826 OPS. There isn't a wrong option in this category—all three would be deserving winners.

AL Manager of the Year

A.J. Hinch led the Detroit Tigers back to the postseason for the first time since the 2014 season, going 86-76 overall.

Matt Quatraro ended the Kansas City Royals' eight-year playoff drought himself, guiding the team to the exact same record as the Tigers and a Wild Card berth.

And Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt led his team to a 92-70 record and the team's second AL Central crown in the past three years in his first year on the job.

NL Manager of the Year

Carlos Mendoza led the New York Mets to an 89-73 record and a Wild Card berth after a dramatic final day of the season. The Mets also reached the NLCS, losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Pat Murphy led the Milwaukee Brewers to a 93-69 record and an NL Central crown, the team's third in the past four years.

Mike Shildt led the San Diego Padres to a 93-69 record in his first season at the helm for the team after the team's disappointing and underachieving 2023 campaign.