Where Red Sox Star Tandem Finished In AL MVP Voting
Jarren Duran finished eighth
Aaron Judge was the unanimous choice for the American League MVP, and the Red Sox missed the playoffs for a third consecutive season in 2024.
However, a deeper look at voting for the coveted award shows why there’s increasing reason for optimism shortly for Boston.
Judge took home all 30 first-place votes, as the New York Yankees slugger took home the hardware for the second time in his career. Meanwhile, Kansas City Royals superstar Bobby Witt Jr. earned every second-place vote. After that, though, it was a mixed bag — as it typically is — for the rest of the field, though a pair of Red Sox stars popped up on ballots.
Boston outfielder Jarren Duran was recognized for his breakout season. The All-Star Game MVP finished eighth in voting, getting a fourth-place vote. Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers finished 13th, appearing on two of the 30 ballots.
None of this suggests the club should throw a parade down Brookline Avenue or hang a banner for a handful of MVP votes. It is, however, another reminder that legitimate talent is making an impact right now.
If anything, this underscores the importance of this offseason and a need to complement further a core that includes the likes of Durran, Devers and even someone like Wilyer Abreu, who just scooped up his first Gold Glove.
One way in which the Red Sox could do that in a big way is to sign Juan Soto. Boston clearly believes it has a chance to land the future Hall of Famer, and he’s coming off a tremendous season. Soto finished third in AL MVP voting behind Judge and Witt, and adding him to the middle of the Red Sox order would be a major coup, even more so when considering it hurts the Yankees, too.
Then again, the Red Sox could also (and should also, quite frankly) look to bolster the pitching staff, too. Even if Soto lands somewhere else, the primes of players like Durran and Devers paired with the ascension of an exciting prospect class give hope for what that side of the ball could be.
Placing a frontline starter or two atop the rotation could go a long way in getting the Red Sox back to doing something a little more than contending for MVP votes.
