You didn’t understand it because it’s not good English. The contrast is between buying an award, and earning it FROM a season of athletic prowess.

Well...
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=CThHIiipsO4C&pg=PT96&lpg=PT96&dq=%22honorific+goods,+whose+value+would+be+dissolved+if+bought+rather+than+earned%22&source=bl&ots=cQ7UybC4i5&sig=ACfU3U3AzmnHHAdIGCMHGf3P9EPX0u5ZIg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiIsq-q4sDrAhX_QUEAHSZVCU0Q6AEwAHoECAEQAQ#v=onepage&q=%22honorific%20goods%2C%20whose%20value%20would%20be%20dissolved%20if%20bought%20rather%20than%20earned%22&f=false

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_J._Sandel

Why can't it be "earned by (means of) ..."

Well...
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=CThHIiipsO4C&pg=PT96&lpg=PT96&dq=%22honorific+goods,+whose+value+would+be+dissolved+if+bought+rather+than+earned%22&source=bl&ots=cQ7UybC4i5&sig=ACfU3U3AzmnHHAdIGCMHGf3P9EPX0u5ZIg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiIsq-q4sDrAhX_QUEAHSZVCU0Q6AEwAHoECAEQAQ#v=onepage&q=%22honorific%20goods%2C%20whose%20value%20would%20be%20dissolved%20if%20bought%20rather%20than%20earned%22&f=false

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_J._Sandel

Why can't it be "earned by (means of) ..." ?

How Much Money the USA Women's Team Really Earned by Winning the World Cup

It can also be earned by winning single player tournaments with 1000 TP for the 1st event, 5000 TP for the 2nd event, ...

Daily Points can be earned by winning a daily competition.

Precisely! In your example they used the verbal form WINNING. In the original English, they used BY A SEASON with no verbal.

In good English say “money earned from [noun]” or “money earned by [gerund]”

The pattern “earned by [noun]” is used for the earner: the money earned by the children will be donated to a local charity.

OK, "three points — the amount earned by a victory" - https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-united-clinging-to-fourth-and-final-spot-in-nasl-playoffs/393789441/

I have to admit, there a not many results - https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=%22earned+by+a+victory%22

...because it should be FROM a victory 😉

thank you for the explanation :3

👍🏼 😉