MLB/Otani Shihei First Place Vote More No Use Jaginian Took The AP Male Athlete Of The Year Award

Aaron Judge of the Yankees won the Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year award Sunday, narrowly beating the Angels' Shumi Otani. Judge said, "Wow, that's incredible."

The AP Male Athlete of the Year award was voted on by 40 sports writers and editors from across the United States. The top three slots were placed in the ballot. In the form published, Judge received 12 first place votes, 10 second place votes and seven third place votes, totaling 29 votes.

Shohihei Otani won 15 people in the first place, three people in the second place, 10 people in the third place, although the first vote was more, but a total of 28 votes, a little gap in the second, failed to win this award. Third place went to Warriors star Stephen Curry with 24 votes.

The AP did not say whether there was ranking weighting, but Otani's score would not have been higher than Judge's, either in total votes or in ranking weighting.

Judge is the fifth Yankee to win the award, joining Ron Guidry in 1978 and Roger Maris, who held the AL record for most hits in a season, in 1961.

Judge expressed his gratitude for the award and the honor of competing for the award with such outstanding athletes from all fields. "It is an incredible honor for me to be mentioned in the same breath as these great athletes who have not only impacted their respective games and sports, but also society and culture," he said.