- Aaron Judge and Cal Raleigh are having two of the greatest seasons in baseball history.
- Both sluggers helped their teams reach the postseason, with Judge going for his third MVP award.
- Shohei Ohtani should repeat as the NL MVP for the Dodgers.
It has been a regular season where down is up, up is down, improbability becomes inevitability. We’ve had epic collapses, historic comebacks, teams who gave up at the trade deadline only to start winning, and teams who were all-in fall apart.
That little Midwest team that could wound up with the best record in baseball.
The juggernaut in Hollywood that was supposed to ruin baseball scrambled simply to win their division.
We barely had a .300 hitter in the National League. There will be no 20-game winner, and a 10-game winner will win the NL Cy Young
There were a record-tying four 50-home run hitters, a record six 30-30 players, and not a single no-hitter.
And while the postseason begins Tuesday, debates will be raging all October on who deserves to walk away with the individual hardware.
American League MVP
While the entire baseball world is arguing who deserves the MVP between New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge and Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, let us provide a friendly reminder.
It is called the Most Valuable Player Award. It is not the Best Player award.
There’s a difference.
If we voted solely on who was the league’s best player, determining who had the superior stats, we should have given the MVP award to Barry Bonds every year of his career.
He did wind up winning seven.
In 1991, Bonds was easily the game’s best player, producing a league-leading 8.0 WAR along with 25 homers, 116 RBI and a .924 OPS. Atlanta third baseman Terry Pendleton had a fine year, but his numbers paled in comparison with his 6.1 WAR, 22 homers, 86 RBIs and a .880 OPS.
So, guess who won the MVP?
Yep, the guy who helped lead Atlanta’s rise from last to first and reach the World Series.
In 1988, Darryl Strawberry had one of his finest seasons ever for the powerful New York Mets, hitting a league-leading 39 homers with 101 RBIs, a .545 slugging percentage and .911 OPS. Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Kirk Gibson hit 25 homers with 76 RBIs to go along with a .473 slugging percentage and .860 OPS.
The MVP? The clubhouse leader who told his new Dodger teammates that he wasn’t about to put up with their losing mentality, and led them to the World Series championship.
If you want to go by sheer statistics, no one has been better than Judge. He leads the league in virtually every statistical category but home runs and RBI. He leads the league with a .331 batting average, .458 on-base percentage, .691 slugging percentage, 1.149 OPS and 136 runs.
Judge, who has 53 home runs, is already guaranteed to become only the third player in baseball history to hit at least 50 home runs and win a batting title, joining Jimmie Foxx and Mickey Mantle. He is undoubtedly is one of the greatest Yankees in history and may also be the finest role model in the entire sport. One day, he’ll be enshrined in Cooperstown.
But he shouldn’t be the 2025 MVP.
This award belongs to Raleigh, who has defied the imagination with his historical season, going where no catcher has ever gone before.
When you’re putting your name alongside Babe Ruth with 60 home runs, eclipsing Mickey Mantle for the most home runs as a switch-hitter and shattering the record for most homers by a catcher, you deserve the ultimate recognition as the Sultan of Squat. Only Judge and Roger Maris have hit more homers in American League history, and they played their home games at Yankee Stadium with a short right-field porch, not a T-Mobile Park in Seattle, where home runs go to die.
“As a catcher, you come off the field at the end of the day, you’re mentally and physically exhausted,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson, a former catcher, said after Raleigh’s 60th homer. “For him to do what he’s done offensively and to do what he does behind the plate, I honestly don’t think we’ve seen this before.’’
You’re talking about a guy who plays the most demanding position in baseball, who must spend valuable time each day in pitchers’ meetings, and who still became only the fourth player in AL history to hit 60 homers to go along with his 125 RBIs.
But it’s not just the statistics that define Raleigh’s MVP candidacy. It’s his clubhouse leadership. His Gold Glove defense. His ability to bring out the best from his pitching staff. And, oh yeah, he also led the Mariners to their first AL West division title in 24 years.
Simply, the Mariners are sitting home in October once again without Raleigh.
If the Mariners had indeed missed the playoffs again, Judge would be the overwhelming favorite. But Raleigh has personally turned the Mariners into a legitimate World Series championship threat. His impact is similar to what Christian Yelich means to Milwaukee Brewers. They don’t have the best record in baseball without him. The Phillies aren’t the same without Kyle Schwarber in that clubhouse.
The Yankees, of course, are likely on the outside looking in without Judge, too. He’s their captain. He’s their inspiration. They go only as far as Judge will take them.
Yet, in this year, no one has been more valuable than Raleigh, he just happens to be performing when most of the country is already asleep playing in the Pacific Northwest.
Let’s put it this way, if Raleigh was a catcher for the Yankees and Judge was playing right field for the Mariners, you think we’d even be having this discussion?
The actual MVP vote by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, which will be announced Nov. 13, will be close, with Judge a slight favorite because of his superior offensive stats. Yet, considering there are only two voters from the 15 American League cities, with Judge and Raleigh surely capturing every first- and second-place vote, and opinion so divided, don’t be surprised if the outcome is historic.
For only the second time in history, accomplished in 1979 when Keith Hernandez and Willie Stargell tied for first in the 1979 NL MVP race, we could realistically have co-MVPs.
Now, wouldn’t that send everyone home happy?
- First: Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners
- Second: Aaron Judge, New York Yankees
- Third: Jose Ramirez, Cleveland Guardians
National League MVP
As long as he stays healthy and doesn’t go into the first funk of his life, we might as well name the MVP award after Los Angeles Dodgers DH/starter Shohei Ohtani. The dude is going to win it every single year, and should be a unanimous choice once again leading the league in OPS, slugging, runs scored, total bases and extra-base hits to go with 56 home run
And, oh yeah, he also pitches, with a 2.87 ERA and 11.9 strikeout rate per nine innings.
Really, the only drama every year in the MVP race is who gets to be the runner-up.
This year, it’s easily Schwarber. If it wasn’t for Ohtani’s heroics, Schwarber would fit the true definition of an MVP.
- First: Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers
- Second: Kyle Schwarber, Philadelphia Phillies
- Third: Juan Soto, New York Mets
AL Cy Young
Just a friendly reminder when you’re driving to Las Vegas and stopping for gas in Kingman, Ariz., this is the home of Tarik Skubal.
He is about to become only the fourth left-handed pitcher in baseball history to win back-to-back Cy Young awards, joining Sandy Koufax, Randy Johnson and Clayton Kershaw.
The man was do dominant that he went 13-2 with a 1.86 ERA with 212 strikeouts and 24 walks during a 26-game stretch, the best in baseball history.
- First: Tarik Skubal, Detroit Tigers
- Second: Garrett Crochet, Boston Red Sox
- Third: Max Fried, New York Yankees
NL Cy Young
It’s unfathomable that Paul Skenes was at the Air Force Academy training to be a pilot in 2022 as a catcher and pitcher on Air Force’s baseball team.
Here he is today, the most dominant pitcher on the planet.
You know you’re doing something great when you can be the first unanimous Cy Young winner in baseball history without a winning record, as Jayson Stark of The Athletic points out.
Skenes finished the season with a 10-10 record and 1.97 ERA.
Skenes, who still wants to serve in the military in some capacity when his playing career is over, has made 55 starts in his two-year career, and has given up just 70 runs, for a 1.96 ERA.
Unreal.
- First: Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh Pirates
- Second: Cristopher Sanchez, Philadelphia Phillies
- Third: Freddy Peralta, Milwaukee Brewers
AL Rookie of the Year
Well, we’re going to have a unanimous winner for this award, too, this time with Nick Kurtz of the Athletics, who is a few years away from having his face splashed across billboards across the Las Vegas strip.
Kurtz is having a rookie season for the ages, hitting .291 with 35 home runs and a 1.001 OPS, accomplished only by Aaron Judge in 2017, Albert Pujols in 2001 and Rudy York in 1937, according to Jayson Stark. Kurtz has a .617 slugging percentage, and is only the seventh rookie in history to have a .600 slugging percentage or higher while having at least 450 plate appearances.
- First: Nick Kurtz, Athletics
- Second: Jacob Wilson, Athletics
- Third: Roman Anthony, Boston Red Sox
NL Rookie of the Year
This one is a close call, but Atlanta’s Drake Baldwin gets the slight nod over Chicago Cubs starter Clade Horton.
Baldwin, the first African-American catcher to have at least 300 plate appearances in a season since four-time Gold Glove winner Charles Johnson since 2004, is hitting .274 with 19 homers, 80 RBIs and an .808 OPS. Baldwin would also become only the third catcher since Hall of Famer Mike Piazza in 1993 to win the award.
Baldwin’s stiffest competition is Horton, 11-4, 2.67 ERA, who was sensational for the Cubs in the second half, going 8-1 with a 1.03 ERA, 0.78 WHIP), before his fractured rib this past week.
The biggest difference separating the two?
Baldwin has been with Atlanta since opening day and has played in 122 games entering Saturday. Horton made his debut May 10, and has pitched just 118 innings in 23 games.
- First: Drake Baldwin, Atlanta
- Second: Cade Horton, Chicago Cubs
- Third: Isaac Collins, Milwaukee Brewers
AL Manager of the Year
Just like his team, Steven Vogt comes out of nowhere to win this award for the second year in a row, with one of the finest managerial performances in recent history.
They were 15 ½ games out of first place in July. They were still 12 ½ games out a month ago.
They lost all-world closer Emmanuel Clase and starter Luis Ortiz to gambling investigations that ended their seasons. They traded their ace and former Cy Young award winner Shane Bieber at the deadline just when he was ready to return from Tommy John surgery.
And here they are, going 32-20 since the trade deadline, and on the threshold of winning the AL Central title in the greatest comeback in baseball history.
- First: Stephen Vogt, Cleveland Guardians
- Second: John Schneider, Toronto Blue Jays
- Third: Dan Wilson, Seattle Mariners
NL Manager of the Year
Come on, did anyone in the world predict the Brewers would have the best record in baseball? Did anyone even pick them to win the NL Central? Will anyone underestimate Brewer manager Pat Murphy and the entire organization ever again?
Murphy will make history, joining Hall of Famer Bobby Cox as the only NL managers to win consecutive awards,
And it won’t even be close.
- First: Pat Murphy, Milwaukee Brewers
- Second: Clayton McCullough, Miami Marlins
- Third: Oli Marmol, St. Louis Cardinals
Around the basepaths
– There should be a handful of managerial openings in the days to come, with the expected retirement of Brian Snitker in Atlanta and the interim tags coming to an end for Miguel Cairo of the Washington Nationals and Tony Mansalino of the Baltimore Orioles.
Yet, the most intriguing scenario is in San Francisco.
The Giants, one of baseball’s most underachieving teams – particularly after acquiring Rafael Devers from the Boston Red Sox – could part ways with manager Bob Melvin, who just had his 2026 option exercised in July.
And if Melvin is fired, guess who could wind up to be Buster Posey’s top choice to replace Melvin?
Yep, Bruce Bochy, the man who led the Giants to three World Series championships, with Posey as his catcher, whose contract expires after the season with the Texas Rangers.
It would be the most dramatic managerial change since Tony La Russa came out of retirement to manage the Chicago White Sox.
“If there’s one thing about Buster Posey it’s that I don’t think he’s OK with losing, I don’t think he’s okay with even being .500,’ Giants ace Logan Webb told reporters after his final start. “I’m not going to play his job because that’s not my job, but I don’t think he’s OK with this. I don’t think there’s a lot of people OK with this in this clubhouse.’
– Could Astros manager Joe Espada and GM Dana Brown pay the price after Houston missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016?
One Astros executive, when asked by USA TODAY Sports whether they could be dismissed – with Brown having a club option that has yet to be picked up – simply said that all departments, on the baseball and business side, are currently being evaluated.
Espada’s job security would seem more tenuous than Brown’s.
– The Tigers plan to give manager A.J. Hinch a contract extension. The deal was close to being finalized a few weeks ago, but with the Tigers’ collapse, the timing simply wasn’t right.
The deal should be consummated after the postseason, but in the meantime, if the Astros indeed are looking for a manager, they could touch base for a possible reunion.
– The Cincinnati Reds were close to acquiring Diamondbacks first baseman Josh Naylor at the trade deadline before he went to the Seattle Mariners and became instrumental in their resurgence. Naylor is hitting .299 with nine homers, 33 RBIs and a .831 OPS for the Mariners, and believe it or not, has stolen 19 bases without being caught.
The Mariners will make every attempt to sign Naylor as a free agent this winter.
– Agents and rival executives believe that the Baltimore Orioles will be the most aggressive team looking for pitching this winter, with the Mets, Cubs, Alanta, Red Sox, Tigers and Giants also in the mix.
– Whose reputation took a bigger hit this year, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch for their collapse or Mets GM David Stearns for their ugly swoon?
– My boldest prediction before opening day? That Mets, despite their $340 million payroll, would miss the postseason. It may happen. The Mets’ pitching staff has been horrendous, using a major-league record 46 pitchers, with only 13 quality starts in the second half.
– My worst prediction? The Texas Rangers would return and win the World Series. They have been riddled with injuries, but their offense was a complete mess, leading to the most frustrating season of manager Bruce Bochy’s Hall of Fame career.
– Pretty cool scene in Anaheim when every player in the Angels dugout was on the top step to give veteran starter Kyle Hendricks a standing ovation when he walked off the mound Friday night after 108 pitches – the most since 2022– knowing it likely could be the final pitch of his fabulous career.
“He’s the teammate that everybody will remember for years and years and years,’ Angels interim manager Ray Montgomery told reporters, “and not because of what he did on the field. I don’t think any of that will matter. Just who he is as a person and who he is as a professional. He’s made a lasting impact on everybody in that room, including me.”
– Kudos to Atlanta for the classy move signing pitcher Charlie Morton so that he could finish his career in Atlanta on Sunday – after being drafted in 2002 – when he’ll start for the final time in his career.
“We were trying to think of the best possible way to make it a special day since we did bring Charlie back and he’s meant so much to the organization,” Atlanta manager Brian Snitker told reporters. “It’s something you can control if he’s an opener, and do a nice thing by honoring him and his career and what he’s meant to, not only us, but to baseball.”
– Cardinals ace Sonny Gray, who exercised his full no-trade rights this season, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch he’s now open to being traded with the Cardinals expected to further tear down their roster in a rebuild.
“I came here to win,” said Gray, who is owed $35 million in 2026. “I signed here two years ago with the expectation of winning and trying to win, and that hasn’t played out that way. I want to win. And I expect to win.”
Prediction: Gray winds up with Atlanta.
– The Washington Nationals, who hired Boston Red Sox assistant GM Paul Toboni to be their new head of baseball operations, have told their scouts they would know by Oct. 1 if their contracts will be renewed.
– The Colorado Rockies not only are finishing with the second-worst record in the modern era, but are on the verge of having the worst starting rotation in baseball history with a 6.67 ERA entering Saturday, eclipsing the 1996 Detroit Tigers’ 6.64 ERA. It is two full runs higher than any other team in baseball.
– Cal Raleigh joined a host of catchers who wish MLB was not implementing the ABS challenge system next year, with a chorus of players convinced it’s designed to increase the offense, as well as being a tool for professional gamblers.
“I’m not a fan of it,’ Raleigh, who was one of four players on the competition committee, told reporters. “I’ve said it before, just some parts of the game I think you don’t mess with, but it is what it is,” Raleigh said. “I get it from the fans’ sake and bringing that excitement to it. I understand it from the fan perspective them wanting to implement that.”
But as a catcher?
“It’s just diminishing the position a little bit, a position that’s already diminished as it is.’ Raleigh told reporters. “You just take another thing away from catchers. And you just hate to see that part of the game go away a little bit.
– Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado, who rejected trade overtures from the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Angels, now says he’ll be much more amenable to a trade this winter and has no real interest in staying in St. Louis.
“They’ve got to let some of these young guys grow and become players and see what they have,’’ Arenado told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, ‘and there’s no doubt that I’m in the way of that. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but obviously I do believe change is coming as it should.’’
– Diamondbacks right fielder Corbin Carroll finished his season as one of only three players in history to hit 30 homers, steal 30 bases and hit 15 triples in the same season. He joins Willie Mays and Jimmy Rollins.
– Mariners first baseman Josh Naylor became only the fourth first baseman to hit at least 30 homers and steal 30 bases in one season, joining Joe Carter, Jeff Bagwell and Paul Goldschmidt.
– While Ha-Seong Kim had a fabulous stint after being claimed by Atlanta on Sept. 1, with speculation that he’s leaning on declining his $16 million player option in 2026 to become a free agent, it’s still highly likely he leaves. Atlanta wouldn’t have picked up the $2 million in his contract for only a few weeks of work if they didn’t have assurances he’d be staying.
– The woeful Colorado Rockies drew 2.4 million fans this year despite finishing with the second-worst record in modern-day history, but it’s still their lowest season attendance since 2007.
– The Cardinals’ average attendance this year was just 27,778 a game, their lowest in a non-COVID year since 1995. They sold nearly a million fewer tickets than just two years ago.
– The Arizona Diamondbacks used a stunning 42 pitchers this season, the most in franchise history, with nine starters, 33 relievers, and 17 recording saves, the most in MLB history.
– Congratulations to Boston Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman, who kept his fabulous streak alive.
He has been in the big leagues 10 years. This will be his 10th postseason.
Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale