- Kate Upton follows husband Justin Verlander's example, flips the bird to Phillies fans
- Phillies fans tried it all, not even Kate Upton chants could faze Justin Verlander
The Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) announced the winners of the 2022 Players Choice Awards. In a vote conducted by the players, Aaron Judge and Paul Goldschmidt were considered the best athletes in their respective leagues.
In addition to Judge and Goldschmidt, the highlights of the award were also Justin Verlander of the Houston Astros and Sandy Alcantara of the Miami Marlins, who were elected as the best pitchers in their respective leagues during the regular season.
The Players Choice Awards are comparable to the MVP and Cy Young awards given by Major League Baseball, but the players themselves vote, not the Writers Association of America.
Judge was also named Player of the Year, an award given to the athlete who "exhibits the best performance on the field" in both leagues, according to the MLBPA.
In 2022, Judge performed impressively throughout the season and set a new American League record by hitting 62 home runs. "There is no greater honor than to receive this award, to be voted on by your peers," said the Yankees star.
For the American League, pitcher and designated hitter Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels finished second in the voting. Ohtani also finished behind Judge for the Player of the Year award, and Goldschmidt was third.
In the National League, Goldschmidt beat out Freedie Freeman of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who was the runner-up, and Austin Riley of the Atlanta Braves, who placed third.
Verlander won the American League Pitcher of the Year award for the third time in his career after posting a league-low 1.75 ERA, striking out 185 opponents, and an 18-4 record. He also won the AL Comeback Player of the Year award, after an impressive season for the 39-year-old who was out for a year due to injury.
Alcantara, meanwhile, finished the season with 14 wins, 207 strikeouts, and a 2.28 ERA in what was a dominant season for the Dominican pitcher, who is a strong candidate for the National League Cy Young award.
Rookie Of The Year were Julio Rodriguez of the Seattle Mariners and Spencer Strider of the Braves.