The list of nominees for the Hank Aaron Award has been released, with the likes of Shohei Ohtani, Bryce Harper, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Juan Soto, and Fernando Tatis Jr all in contention for the prestigious honor.
Established in 1999 by the Major League Baseball organization, the Hank Aaron Award is awarded to the best offensive player in each league, with the winner being traditionally announced in November. This will be the first Hank Aaron Award to be given after the former player’s death.
During a phone interview, Hank Aaron’s wife of 48 years Billye Aaron explained that her husband “was always very excited about the award itself and, of course, very excited about the World Series because, during that time, before every fourth game, he had the pleasure of meeting and getting to know and shake hands with the winners.”
In order to determine the nominees as well as the eventual winner, votes are received from a voting panel consisting of Hall of Fame players as well as a fan vote. The voting panel for this year consists of eight Hall of Famers, among them newcomers Chipper Jones, Pedro Martinez, and John Smoltz.
