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2025 MLB MVP Race Heats Up: Can Ohtani Defy Odds and Eclipse Judge and Raleigh in Epic AL-NL Duel?
The 2025 MLB MVP showdown is just around the corner, set to drop this Thursday, and the buzz is electric. On the National League side? Well, it seems the debate’s all but settled — the NL MVP is pretty much a done deal. But flip over to the American League… whew, that one’s a whole different story. After two jaw-dropping, historic campaigns from the top contenders, the AL crown has sparked enough chatter to fill a stadium. Whether you’re all in on Aaron Judge or backing the powerhouse performances of Cal Raleigh and José RamÃrez, this year’s MVP race promises fireworks like we seldom see.
Stick with me as we dive deep—breaking down the contenders, unpacking MVP history, and giving you the full picture ahead of the big reveal.
The 2025 American and National League Most Valuable Player Awards are set to be announced on Thursday, and while there’s really no argument about the National League winner, the American League crown has generated much debate after a pair of historic seasons from the front runners.
Let’s go over everything you need to know about this year’s field and history of the award.
Stars like Alex Bregman, Pete Alonso, and Cody Bellinger join headliners Kyle Tucker, Dylan Cease, and Bo Bichette in a 2025–26 MLB free agent class loaded with impact bats and arms.
The MVP Finalists
2025 AL MVP
- Aaron Judge (OF Yankees): .331/.457/.688, 53 HR, 114 RBI, 215 OPS+, 9.7 bWAR
- Cal Raleigh (C Mariners): .247/.359/.589, 60 HR, 125 RBI, 169 OPS+, 7.4 bWAR
- José RamÃrez (3B Guardians): .283/.360/.503, 30 HR, 85 RBI, 137 OPS+, 5.8 bWAR
2025 NL MVP
- Shohei Ohtani (DH Dodgers): .282/.374/.582, 55 HR, 102 RBI, 179 OPS+, 6.6 bWAR; Ohtani as a pitcher: 1-1, 2.87 ERA, 62/9 K/BB, 1.1 bWAR)
- Kyle Schwarber (DH Phillies): .240/.365/.563, 56 HR, 132 RBI, 150 OPS+, 4.7 bWAR
- Juan Soto (OF Mets): .263/.396/.535, 43 HR, 105 RBI, 160 OPS+, 6.2 bWAR
Who is the favorite to win 2025 AL MVP?
Most expect that Judge will add to his current total of two MVP awards. That he had more than 80 points of batting average and nearly 200 points of OPS on Raleigh is pretty overwhelming, even though Raleigh did top him in homers, setting single-season records for both catchers and switch-hitters in the process, and runs batted in while also playing the most difficult position on the field. Raleigh’s production would have warranted the award most years, but Judge is simply on an incredible run.
As for RamÃrez, the superb Cleveland third baseman will finish third for the third time in his career and in the top five for a sixth time. He still hasn’t won one, though; he came closest in the shortened 2020, when he placed second to José Abreu.
How many MVP awards does Shohei Ohtani have?
He’s about to make it four; he won AL MVP with the Angels in 2021 and ’23 and NL MVP in his initial season with the Dodgers in 2024. This year’s results left him more beatable than last year, when he completed the first 50/50 season ever (54 homers, 59 steals) and drove in 130 runs. This year, he drove in just 47 teammates all season to finish sixth in the NL with 102 RBI, and while he did make a modest contribution on the mound after returning from Tommy John surgery, his 47 innings in the regular season weren’t a huge difference maker. He also didn’t do as much running after offseason shoulder surgery, finishing with 20 steals.
Fortunately for Ohtani, there was no Raleigh pushing him in the NL. Schwarber was awesome in collecting his 56 homers and 132 RBI, but he would have needed to be more than a designated hitter to make up the ground he needed. Soto played like an MVP the final two months, but he needed to catch fire earlier.
Oddly enough, the one position player who topped Ohtani in bWAR (7.0 to 6.6) didn’t show up among the top three finishers here. That is Arizona’s Geraldo Perdomo, who stunned everyone by hitting .290/.389/.462 with 20 homers and 100 RBI. He totaled 14 homers and 124 RBI in 390 games the previous three seasons. His offensive numbers obviously still don’t quite match up with those of Ohtani, Schwarber and Soto, but he put them up while also playing above average defense at shortstop and deserved ample consideration for the second or third spots on ballots.
Stay up to date with the MLB free agent market this offseason, including player signings, contract details, and team fits as the 2025-26 Hot Stove heats up.
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Which MLB player has the most MVP Awards all-time?
Ohtani is set to move into second place on this list. Barry Bonds, who won seven NL MVP awards between 1990 and 2014, was the only player to win more than three.
7 – Barry Bonds
3 – Yogi Berra, Roy Campanella, Joe DiMaggio, Jimmie Foxx, Mickey Mantle, Stan Musial, Shohei Ohtani, Albert Pujols, Alex Rodriguez, Mike Schmidt, Mike Trout
Ohtani will also join Bonds as the only player to win MVP three years in a row. Bonds won NL MVP all four years from 2001-04.
How many players have won MLB MVP unanimously?
Ohtani has actually won all three of his MVP awards unanimously and could make it a fourth. Conformity has become more of a force in award balloting during the age of social media, and both 2023 (Ohtani and Ronald Acuña Jr.) and 2024 (Ohtani and Judge) MVP winners were unanimous. In all, 23 players have won unanimously.
Has there even been a co-MVP in MLB?
Only once have players shared the MVP award. That happened in 1979, when the Cardinals’ Keith Hernandez and the Pirates’ Willie Stargell split the NL electorate.
What team has had the most MVPs?
The Yankees have had 22 MVPs since the BBWAA first started handing out the award in 1931. Judge’s third win would make it 23. Next on the list are the Cardinals at 18.
Ohtani would be the Dodgers’ 14th winner, breaking a tie with the Giants for third on the list.
If Raleigh sneaks in, he’d be the Mariners’ third winner, joining Ken Griffey Jr. in 1997 and Ichiro Suzuki in 2001.
Three teams have yet to produce an MVP: the Diamondbacks, Mets and Rays.
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