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The MLB Most Valuable Player Awards for the 2025 season are official, and while one league was a close race, it wasn’t close to the other.
After winning his second World Series in as many years with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani also has back-to-back NL MVP Awards under his belt after a unanimous vote by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.
The two-way Japanese superstar was named the 2025 NL MVP, giving him a total of four during his MLB career. He won his first two in the American League with the Los Angeles Angels. In fact, he has won an MVP award in each of the last three seasons, after winning the 2023 award in his final year as an Angels star.
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Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, right, talks with interpreter Ippei Mizuhara during the ninth inning of an opening day baseball game against the San Diego Padres at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, March 20, 2024, in Seoul, South Korea. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
Now Ohtani has just Barry Bonds to chase for most MVP awards in MLB history. Bonds won seven NL MVPs, a feat some believe is still untouchable. Ohtani was tied with 10 other players with three during their careers, but the 31-year-old is in a new position now and only looks up to Bonds.
The Philadelphia Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber and the New York Mets’ Juan Soto were the two remaining finalists in the NL. Schwarber received 23 second-place votes to Soto’s four.
Ohtani, a five-time All-Star now, led the National League in runs scored (146), slugging percentage (.622) and OPS (1.024) while mashing 55 home runs with 102 RBI and a .282 average. Ohtani also had a .392 on-base percentage with 20 intentional walks, which also led the NL.
And after not being able to pitch in 2024, Ohtani was back on the mound this season with a 2.87 ERA over 14 starts (47) innings with 62 strikeouts and nine walks.
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Of course, the award is strictly based on the regular season, but Ohtani played a big role in the Dodgers retaining their World Series title in an epic seven-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays. Over 17 postseason games, Ohtani slashed .265/.405/.691 with eight homers, three doubles and 14 RBI.
While it was practically a lock that Ohtani would be named the NL MVP, one of baseball’s biggest debates revolved around the AL MVP—would it be New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge going back-to-back, or would Seattle Mariners switch-hitting catcher Cal Raleigh’s dream season end with it in his grasp?
The baseball writers chose Judge.
New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge runs to first after hitting a two-run home run in the first inning during a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in Kansas City, Missouri. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)
Judge received 17 first-place votes to Raleigh’s 13, which the BBWAA says is the closest MVP race since 2019.
Judge has now won his third career MVP and three of the last four in the American League.
While Raleigh had the umpire beat in the home run department, the Yankees slugger won his first career batting title and led MLB with a .331 average. He also led all of MLB with a .457 on-base percentage, .688 slugging percentage, 1.144 OPS and led the American League with 137 runs.
Judge tallied 114 RBI and he was intentionally walked 36 times, blowing away Ohtani’s NL-leading total.
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This was Judge’s seventh All-Star season as he remains arguably the best pure hitter in MLB. Unfortunately for him and the pinstripes, they weren’t able to put up the run that Ohtani and the Dodgers did. The Yankees were swept by the AL pennant-winning Blue Jays in the ALDS, though Judge had quite the memorable moment in Game 3 with a clutch home run off the foul pole to keep the Yankees’ season alive.
Raleigh was one of the biggest baseball stories of the season when it just seemed like Raleigh couldn’t be stopped—and couldn’t stop breaking records in the process.
Raleigh hit 60 home runs, which not only led the MLB, but it set the league record for the most all-time by a catcher, a switch-hitter and a Mariners player. He finished with 125 RBI while slashing .247/.359/.948 over 159 games.
Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh reacts after hitting his 60th home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies in Seattle, Washington on September 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
Yes, Raleigh played in all but three games this season, which includes 128 games at the league’s most demanding position of catcher.
Those pulling for Raleigh during the season pointed to how he consistently broke records for a position that is usually overlooked for this type of award. He was a definite factor in the Mariners clinching the AL West title for the first time since 2001, and they also did well in the postseason before eventually falling to the Blue Jays in Game 7.
