As expected, Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani was named the 2024 National League Most Valuable Player on Thursday night, his third MVP award in the last four seasons. If not for Aaron Judge's amazing season in 2022 in which he set a new American League mark for home runs in a season, Ohtani would have four straight MVP awards under his belt. Ohtani is the first DH to win the award after becoming the first player in MLB history to hit 50 homers and steal 50 bases in the same season. The Japanese two-way player (he'll return to pitching in 2025) becomes the 12th player ever to win three MVPs and the second to do so within his first seven seasons, joining Stan Musial. After signing an unprecedented $700 million deal with LA, Ohtani led the Dodgers to a World Series title and led the NL in homers (54), RBI (130) and OPS (1.036).

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge was named the 2024 American League Most Valuable Player on Thursday night after receiving all 30 first-place votes for the award. It's Judge's second career MVP award as he beat out the Kansas City Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. and teammate Juan Soto. The honor was well-earned, as Judge led the majors in home runs (58), RBI (144), OPS (1.159) and wins above replacement (11.2) this year while spending most of his time in center field in the Bronx. He also led the Yankees back to the World Series, although they fell short against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Judge's 223 adjusted OPS was the highest for a right-handed hitter since 1900, according to ESPN research. He becomes the seventh Yankees player to win multiple MVPs, joining Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Alex Rodriguez and Roger Maris.

Free-agent left-hander Rich Hill said that he wants to pitch again in 2025. Hill's performance for the United States in the WBSC Premier12 tournament with four scoreless innings against Japan certainly helps his cause, although he'll most likely have to settle for a minor-league deal. The 44-year-old southpaw only pitched in 3 2/3 relief innings for the Boston Red Sox in 2024 and allowed two earned runs. If Hill does land with another team on the open market this offseason, he'll be a long shot to return any fantasy value and will mostly be used in mop-up relief duty out of the bullpen instead of as a starter. In 2023 with the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Diego Padres, Hill wasn't very effective, posting a 5.41 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 129 strikeouts and 58 walks in 146 1/3 innings over 32 outings (27 starts).

The Philadelphia Phillies are high on right-handed pitching prospect Andrew Painter, especially after he just looked dominant in the Arizona Fall League, but they will surely limit his innings in 2025. Painter is one of the best pitching prospects in baseball, but he'll also turn 22 in April of next year and has problems with injuries in the past. He made six shortened starts in the AFL and logged 15 2/3 innings while being named the league's top pitcher, but he will be limited in 2025 in his first full season back from Tommy John surgery. The Phillies would prefer to have Painter at the back of their rotation later in 2025, which means he might not pitch spring training games to preserve his innings. It means that the Phillies need a plan for the back of their rotation in the early portion of the season. Painter's fantasy value will be limited in 2025, but there's no doubt his stuff makes him a high-upside, long-term fantasy starter.