As the 2025 Major League Baseball season nears its final month, the latest MVP poll conducted by MLB.com highlights shifting dynamics in both leagues’ races for the award.
The poll, which gathered votes from 37 MLB.com experts, asked participants to rank their top five candidates in each league using a point system. The results reflect not only current performance but also projections for the remainder of the season.
In the American League, Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners has taken over as the leading candidate with 22 first-place votes. Raleigh is on pace for 60 home runs and recently set a record for most homers in a single season by a primary catcher with 49. He leads the AL with 106 RBIs and holds a 167 OPS+.
Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees follows in second place with 15 first-place votes. Although his performance has slowed since midseason due to injury and a dip in batting average, Judge still tops several offensive categories including batting average (.324), on-base percentage (.439), slugging (.669), and OPS (1.108). He remains second to Raleigh in home runs within the AL.
Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals ranks third, maintaining strong numbers with a .346 average and .999 OPS in August. Witt leads baseball with 40 doubles and is currently on a hitting streak.
José RamÃrez of the Cleveland Guardians sits fourth. He is positioned for another possible 30-30 season and ranks among league leaders in multiple categories such as hits, average, home runs, on-base percentage, and slugging.
Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers rounds out the top five thanks to his pitching dominance. Skubal’s statistics include an MLB-best WHIP (0.87) and FIP (2.21), along with leading all AL pitchers in bWAR (6.0) and ERA (2.32).
Other AL players receiving votes include Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Nick Kurtz, George Springer, Riley Greene, Junior Caminero, Garrett Crochet, Julio RodrÃguez, and Bo Bichette.
In the National League race, Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers is firmly ahead with 34 first-place votes. Ohtani’s two-way contributions remain significant: he is tied for the NL lead in home runs (45), leads outright in slugging (.619) and OPS (1.008), as well as runs scored (122) and total bases (307). On the mound he has struck out 35 batters over 27⅓ innings this year.
Kyle Schwarber of the Philadelphia Phillies comes second with two first-place votes. Schwarber matches Ohtani’s home run total at 45 and leads all MLB players with 109 RBIs this season. His power surge includes leading all qualified hitters with a hard-hit rate of 61.2 percent since the All-Star break.
Pete Crow-Armstrong from the Chicago Cubs holds third place after accumulating a league-leading bWAR (6.4) among NL players while approaching his first-ever 30-30 season.
Trea Turner—also from Philadelphia—appears fourth following his move into poll’s top five for this cycle; he currently leads NL hitters with 160 hits alongside consistent overall production that has contributed to Philadelphia’s strong position atop their division.
Paul Skenes of Pittsburgh Pirates closes out fifth place thanks to standout pitching numbers: he boasts an NL-best ERA (2.07), FIP (2.39), WHIP (0.94), along with high strikeout totals across significant innings pitched.
Other NL players recognized by voters include Fernando Tatis Jr., Juan Soto, Manny Machado, Corbin Carroll, Pete Alonso, Will Smith, Francisco Lindor, Ketel Marte, Elly De La Cruz, Christian Yelich, Geraldo Perdomo, Freddy Peralta, Kyle Stowers, Cristopher Sánchez.
Schwarber’s performance continues to be key for Philadelphia as they maintain their lead atop the National League East standings this late into August.
