2024 Kevin Mitchell Award contenders

As the saying goes, "Chicks dig the long ball," though there can be more to it than that when it comes to the Kevin Mitchell Award.

The award recognizing the league's top batter is voted upon by the DMBL's 20 owners. Each ballot has six players, with a point system of 10-7-5-3-2-1. Which 6 will make your ballot?

This year, I tried something different. Rather than compile about a dozen candidates who might be worthy of the six slots on your Mitchell Award ballot, we'll examine each of the 20 teams to see which batters make the strongest case. It took a lot longer than I expected so I'm not sure I'll be doing it this way again. But enjoy!

Rather than alphabetical order, teams are sorted below by runs scored. You can also have a look at the League Leaders page for comparisons.

Tucson Kingsnakes (894 runs, 5.51/game)

There were any number of players that contributed to the league's top offense. 2B Jose Altuve started off the year gangbusters on a 26-game hit streak that was unmatched during the season. His line of .321/.403/.587 is incredible but his counting numbers took a hit because he played in only 113 games due to injuries, which might hurt his case a bit. Still, he slammed 32 HRs and scored 91 runs.

1B Matt Olson really thrust himself into the Mitchell Award conversation during a torrid stretch of August when he blasted 7 dongs in a week, including 6 over a 3-game stretch (3 HRs, 2 HRs, HR). In all, he hit 11 HRs and collected 6 GWRBI in August. He led the Snakes with 15 GWRBI and 3 others had 11 (Altuve, Josh Outman, and Trea Turner). He also collected 15 intentional walks.

In all, Olson ranked among the league's elite hitters throughout most categories. He was 2nd only to Aaron Judge of Sardine City with 57 HRs and 134 RBI; 3rd in runs (125), to go with 169 Ks but 115 walks. He ranked 7th in OBP (.385) and 3rd overall in SLG (.618). Olson edged Judge for the league lead in total bases by just 1 (372) and tied Poovey Farms' Freddie Freeman for most extra base hits (92).

Tucson got serious contributions from 1st round rookie Josh Outman (.275/.358/.563). Despite only 20 2Bs, he cranked 42 HRs (that's a total of 99 between him and Olson), driving in 88 RBI while scoring 116 runs with 66 BB and 205 Ks. He also tacked on 8 triples.

Sardine City Straphangers (886 runs, 5.46/game)

The Straphangers had 6 players with 24 HRs or more and that doesn't even really tell the full story of the offense. 

The reigning Mitchell Award winner, Aaron Judge makes a compelling case for a repeat. In most categories, you might mistake Judge's name for 1st as he led the league across a wide swath of statistics:

• 62 HR
• 138 RBI
• 150.7 runs created
• 1.136 total average
• 9.2 AB/HR
• .574 secondary average
• 20 GWRBI
  

And he finished 2nd in plenty of others:

• 126 runs
• 9.4 RC/27
• 81 extra base hits
• 371 total bases
• 1.039 OPS
• .647 SLG
  
• .375 isolated power

It's the second consecutive year that Judge mashed at least 60 HRs, winning the HR crown outright after tying with Mike Trout in 2023. He also batted .272 with a .392 OBP, good for 4th in the DMBL, and his 114 walks also ranked 4th. All that in 152 games but he never saw the field as a full-time DH.

Of course, Judge couldn't do it alone. After all, the Straphangers had the second-best offense in the league.

SS Corey Seager (.294/.357/.595) and CF Luke Raley (.279/.339/.568) both contributed 15 GWRBI -- no other squad had 3 players with at least 15. The trio all ranked within the top five in the league in RBI as well.

Seager finished 6th in HR (46), 5th in SLG (.595), 5th in OPS (.930), 3rd in RBI (132) and T5th in 2B (46). He matched Judge with 92 extra base hits, tied for 3rd in the league behind only Ohtani and Freeman. He also tied Freeman for 8th in RC/27 (7.3) and was 10th overall in RC (121.4). Seager's 358 total bases was 3rd overall, just ahead of Raley (357), trailing only Judge (371) and Olson (372).

A 3rd round pick this year, Raley put together a most impressive first season in the DMBL. In 162 games, he hammered 43 HR (T7th), 10 3Bs (6th), 125 RBI (5th), 114 R (8th), 86 EBH (5th). He ranked 9th in SLG (.568) and his 23 HBP was 2nd in the league.

One drawback might be his 229 Ks, 3rd highest in the league, against just 36 BB. But Raley made his swings count: He added 33 2B, 15 SB and his .833 SB% (15-18) ranked T3rd in the league. If he doesn't get onto a ballot for the Mitch, the 30-year-old rookie might get some consideration for the Listach Award among the league's top rookies.

And we haven't even gotten to 1B/OF Cody Bellinger (.292/.366/.498, 26 HR, 99 R, 74 RBI) and Christian Yelich (.264/.341/.392, 11-98-52), who finished 1-2 for the 2020 Mitchell Award, or George Springer (.250/.303/.436), who clubbed 26 HR and 98 RBI with 86 runs.

Philly Green Rage (866 runs, 5.3/game)

The 2024 campaign was a phunny story for Philly. The Green Rage punted on the season, daelindid a u-turn ahead of the trade deadline, dealing away No. 1 overall pick Nolan Jones before going all in for 2024.

While Philly had the 3rd best offense in the league, they had no players who scored 100 runs (rookie Will Benson topped out at 90) or hit more than 25 HRs (Jake Burger, who also smacked 36 2Bs, and led the team with 13 GWRBI).

SS Bo Bichette seemed to be the key cog in the machine for the Green Rage. He led the league with 227 hits (comfortably ahead of Erie's Yandy Diaz with 213) and 674 at bats, finishing 3rd in the batting race (.337) just behind Diaz (.338). He led the team with 113 RBI, which was just outside the top 10 in the league (Vancouver's Ke'Bryan Hayes was 10th with 116), along with 89 runs. Bichette's 26 2Bs, 3 3Bs, and 24 HRs helped compile 331 total bases, good enough to rank 9th in DMBL while playing 163 games at SS thanks to a tie-breaker game versus Erie.

The 2022 Mitchell Award winner, Bryce Harper (.259/.375/.450) had a quiet season (for his standards) as he moved to 1B: 23 HR, 85 R, 88 RBI, and 88 BB (10th in DMBL).

Before being shipped to Livingston, Jones hit .306/.393/.527 in 93 games with 18 2b, 19 HR and 52 RBI and 74 runs scored.

Poovey Farms Dairy Cows (819 runs, 5.1/game)

1B Freddie Freeman led the league with 68 doubles, 15 more than El Paso's Jarren Duran (53). The 68 doubles are 5th most all time and within one of the former record set by Terry Shumpert with Jerusalem in 2000 until Jose Ramirez broke it in 2018.

The doubles barrage and 190 hits (5th) helped Freeman tie for league lead in extra base hits (92) with Olson, edging Judge and Seager (91). He also finished 10th in total bases (329), 9th in batting (.301) and 8th in OBP (.390). His 126.8 RC were 5th best in the league and he tied with Seager for 8th with 7.3 RC/27.

Yet he didn't lead the Dairy Cows in RBI. That would be OF Jorge Soler, whose 129 ranked 4th overall, and Ohtani had 119 (8th). Freeman finished with 106 and even Christopher Morel drove in 100, giving Poovey Farms four players with 100 or more RBI. Soler (.231/.307/.532) ranked 3rd in DMBL in HR (54) behind Judge and Olson, including a league-best 22 v. LHP. He also added 18 GWRBI, two more than Freeman.

Meanwhile, POO DH Shohei Ohtani led the league in 4 categories:

• 9.5 RC/27
• .680 SLG
• 1.060 OPS
• .387 in isolated power

If he didn't lead the league, Ohtani ranked 2nd to Judge in some big categories, including total average (1.135). And you could find Ohtani's name smattered throughout the DMBL's top 10: 49 HR (4th), .380 OBP that matched Freeman for 8th overall, tied for 8th in extra base hits (80) with Nolan Jones, and 8th in runs created (122.8). Some voters might take issue with his DH-only status, where he only made 125 starts compared to the 162 from Freeman and Soler.

El Paso Chihuahuas (803 runs, 5.0/game)

El Paso was one of five teams to eclipse 800 runs this year (5.0/game) thanks to a staid veteran and a rookie phenom.

Ronald Acuna, Jr. might be the strongest Chihuahua candidate, topping the DMBL with 134 runs, 25 intentional walks, and 44 SBs, along with a league-best 1.1 K/BB ratio. The 25 intentional walks was 10 more than anyone else (Olson). 132.3 ranked 4th overall, .394 OBP (3rd), 193 hits (4th)

Acuna also added an 18-game hit streak, 4th best this season. As a team, El Paso's 123 SB was far and away most in the league (Blue Ridge, 77). Just a handful of combined stole more bases than most other teams (Elly De La Cruz, 24; Jarren Duran, 20; Fernando Tatis, Jr., 14). Nine teams stole fewer than 50 bases (Green Lake, 25; Newark, 26; Merrill Creek, 28; San Francisco, 39; Livingston, 41; Sardine City, 43; Empire City, 47; Erie, 48; Vancouver, 49).

Rookie Matt McLain rewarded El Paso for drafting him in the 1st round with a monster season. He tied for 6th in the batting race (.307) and was one of three players with 200+ hits (205). He also ranked in the top 10 league-wide in doubles (44, T8th), RC (9th, 121.5), and total bases (7th, 339). If McLain can't squeeze onto a Mitchell Award ballot, he might have an easier time finding some support for the Listach, among the league's top rookies.

Newark Sugar Bears (797 runs, 4.9/game)

SS JP Crawford seemed to be the straw that stirred the Sugar Bears' drink. He led the entire DMBL with 135 BBs, which helped him to rank 4th in OBP (.392) and finish with 119 runs, 5th in the league. Beyond that, there was nary a Sugar Bear among the league leaders in HRs and RBIs and other sexier categories though Crawford and C Tom Murphy (.306/.343/.600) did tie for 5th in the DMBL with 46 2Bs.

Brandon Belt led Newark with 88 RBI, just ahead of veteran Justin Turner (86), and 33 HRs. Belt had 16 GWRBI and his 12 intentional walks ranked 5th in the league. Rookie 2nd round pick Jared Triolo did his part with 188 hits, tied for 6th most in DMBL, including a 16-game hit streak.

Hoboken Cutters (784 runs, 4.8/game)

3B/2B Isaac Paredes may have only batted .222 but he provided power for the Cutters with a team-best 39 HR and 98 RBI, along with 89 runs to go with 30 2Bs. He led the squad with 13 GWRBI. SS Wander Franco (21 SBs) and RF Michael Harris II belted 35 2Bs when they weren't setting the table for the offense. 1B Ryan Mountcastle drove in 97 RBI on 30 HRs, primarily demolishing left-handers, with a DMBL-high .820 SLG and 57 RBI against southpaws.

Hopatcong Floating Fish (766 runs, 4.728/game)

LF Julio Rodriguez (.299/.351/.574) and CF Luis Robert (.279/.325/.581) were the big boppers for Hopatcong, blasting 42 (tied for 10th in DMBL) and 43 HRs (6th), respectively. Rodriguez led the team with 123 RBI (good for 6th in the league), ahead of Robert's 105. The duo ranked in the top 10 in the DMBL in SLG, Robert (6th) and Rodriguez (8th), as well as extra base hits: J-Rod, 85 (6th) and Robert, 83 (7th). J-Rod also finished 10th in the batting race and 9th in hits (185) while adding 17 SBs (against 12 CS), also 10th in DMBL, and 5th in total bases (355).

Another homer and DH Marcell Ozuna would have made it three Floating Fish with 40 dongs; he finished with 39 to go with 99 RBI and 37 doubles - all 3rd on the team. OF Ian Happ topped the Fish with 104 runs, thanks in part to 100 BBs, which was good for 5th in DMBL. All four of them registered 11 GWRBI to tie for the team lead.

Livingston Lords of Swing (765 runs, 4.722/game)

Livingston's fortunes in recent years have been powered by the likes of Mookie Betts and Juan Soto.But it was SS Carlos Correa (.228/.288/.357) who led the Lords of Swing with 80 RBI. Betts ranked 10th overall in OBP (.379) with 99 walks (6th in DMBL) against just 105 Ks. He blasted 36 HR and scored 103 runs but only 79 RBI with a line of .266/.379/.505. Most impressive but enough to get onto another Mitchell Award ballot where only 6 players make the cut?

Soto (.249/.376/.460) ranked 10th in DMBL in runs scored (109) and his 123 walks were second only to Newark's JP Crawford. He blasted 33 HR with 75 RBI with 25 2Bs. Betts and Soto finished 2-3 in K/BB ratio behind Acuna.

The Lords of Swing traded for Nolan Jones late in the year, getting the 2024 No. 1 overall pick from PHI. In 67 games with Livingston, Jones held up his end of the bargain with a line of .297/.385/.606, slamming 17 HR and 19 2B with 37 RBI and 49 runs. He even swiped 6 SBs against 1 CS.

Erie Snowwolves (759 runs, 4.68/game)

.1B Yandy Diaz slashed a formidable .338/.399/.506, finishing 2nd in DMBL in batting, OBP and hits (213). He was also 8th in doubles (44) while whacking 20 HR with 79 RBI and 98 runs. Diaz ranked 7th overall in both RC (123.6) and RC/27 (7.5) and 9th overall in OPS (.908). His 17-game hit streak was 6th longest of the season. CF Chas McCormick (.285/.351/.551) provided Erie's power with a team-best 43 HRs, tied with Luke Raley and Luis Robert for 7th in DMBL. He 117 RBI (9th), 8th in total bases (336) and added 27 doubles. SS Francisco Lindor led the Snowwolves with 15 GWRBI.

Blue Ridge Bombers (749 runs, 4.62/game)

You wouldn't think a team that came within 3 games of a 100-loss season would have many candidates. But OF/DH Brent Rooker blossomed and Jose Ramirez was typical Jose Ramirez. Rooker jacked 37 HRs and 113 RBI, both of which fall just outside the league's top 10, to go with 212 Ks (9th in DMBL). He also had 13 GWRBI, FWIW. Ramirez slapped 40 2Bs and scored a team-best 95 runs with 186 hits (8th) and 13 SBs.

Vancouver Iron Fist (741 runs, 4.57/game)

The Iron Fist batted a league-best .272 as a team with 2021 Listach Award winner 3B Ke'Bryan Hayes (.290/.317/.500) leading them in most categories. He ranked 10th in DMBL in hits (183) and RBI (116) while knocking 27 HRs and 42 doubles.

Otherwise, rookies contributed mightily for the Iron Fist. OF Mickey Moniak blasted 44 2Bs (tied for 8th in DMBL) while DH/C Luis Campusano finished 4th in the batting race (.324) and had a 16-game hitting streak. CF Corbin Carroll knocked 11 triples (3rd in the league) and swiped 18 SB (8th overall) against just 8 CS.

San Francisco Experience (738 runs, 4.55/game)

Rookie C Yainer Diaz, a 2024 1st-rounder, led the Experience in most categories, in fact tying with Max Kepler precisely with 35 HR and 80 RBI. Thanks in part to an aggressive 93:10 K:BB ratio. Despite just 113 starts behind the plate, Diaz tied for 6th in the batting race (.307), ranked 7th in SLG (.577), and tied with Raley for 9th overall in OPS (.908).

Hillsborough Hitmen (729 runs, 4.50/game)

1B Pete Alonso, the 2020 Listach Award winner, continued mashing for the Hitmen this season, with 47 dongs (5th in DMBL) and a team-high 107 RBI, although his slash line took a hit, .217/.285/500. DH Yordan Alvarez ranked 10th overall with 7.2 RC/27. OF Kevin Kiermaier tagged a league-leading 16 triples + 12 SB without getting caught.

Empire City Trojans (728 runs, 4.49/game)

Rookie 3B/SS Gunnar Henderson, drafted ineligible in 2023, tied for 9th in the league with 109 runs while also blasting 27 HRs and 92 RBI, with 11 triples and 36 doubles. He added 11 SBs against 4 CS. No other Trojan has more than 76 runs scored (Ketel Marte, who also contributed 15 GWRBI).

The Trojans got contributions from around the lineup with a trio of players registering 90+ RBI but C Cal Raleigh was the big gun with a team-high 39 HR and 98 RBI. Despite a line of .228/.293/.437, 1B Christian Walker registered 91 RBI on 28 HR and 39 2B.

Arkansas Golden Falcons (703 runs, 4.33/game)

Arkansas relied on their league-best pitching staff (3.58 ERA) to earn the No. 6 seed so their batters might be dark horse candidates for The Mitch. OF Austin Hays popped off for 51 2Bs, 3rd in DMBL, and his 78 extra base hits was good for 10th overall. He led the Golden Falcons in most categories, including 89 RBI, 13 SB, and .283 BA. Rookie 1st rounder Zack Gelof might get some attention for the Listach with his team-best 32 HRs and .528 SLG, while adding 33 2B and 10 SB.

Looking for a dark horse? Maybe 3B Rafael Devers fits your bill, with a team-best 15 GWRBI, along with 31 HR, 82 RBI but a sketchy line of just .234/.322/.450.

Double Dragons (698 runs, 4.30/game)

One of the few things the Double Dragons had going for them in 2024 was Luis Arraez, the DMBL batting champion (.345). He also sported the league's 2nd longest hit streak at 21 games. Otherwise, the Dragons were led by some journeymen in offensive categories: OF Manuel Margot smacked 49 2Bs (4th in DMBL) and OF Michael A. Taylor was the only Dragon with more than 20 HRs (27). Ryan McMahon topped the team with just 71 RBI and 80 runs.

Allentown Mules (663 runs, 4.1/game)

The Mules offense has long been driven by the trio of CF Mike Trout, 3B Manny Machado, and OF Kyle Tucker. Trout and Machado led the club with 33 HRs. Trout ranked 7th in the league with 115 runs and 98 walks while his 229 Ks were 3rd-most in DMBL. It was Machado who did most of the driving in, finishing 7th in DMBL with 120 RBIs. He led the squad with 17 GWRBI while slashing .280/.327/.476.

Tucker (.276/.348/.484) had a team-high 24 SB, tied for 2nd in the league, and 43 2B while also doing damage with 90 RBI and 95 runs.

Merrill Creek Mudskippers (630 runs, 3.9/game)

The Mudskippers scored the second fewest runs in the league. OF Jose Siri (.212/.262/.489) was the primary power source with 37 HR, 85 RBI and 78 runs.

Green Lake Gators (630 runs, 3.8/game)

Like the Double Dragons, it might be tricky to find anyone in Green Lake to make it onto your Mitch ballot. The Gators barely cracked 600 runs on the year. Youngster 1B Spencer Torkelson only slashed .224/.280/.411 but led the team in most batting categories thanks to playing time: 26 HR, 36 2B, 85 RBI in 160 games. He also collected 14 GWRBI.