MLB: MVP, Cy Young, and Rookie of the Year Awards to the High Command

Key Figures in MLB: Judge, Ohtani, Skubal, and Wheeler Lead Award Voting

Midway through the season, four of baseball’s titans have positioned themselves as the leading contenders in the races for the most important MLB awards. Although there is still a long way to go, and the final votes will be cast at the end of the season, established stars and perennial favorites lead the rankings.

In other words, unless a serious injury occurs to Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, Tarik Skubal, or Zack Wheeler, an outstanding performance in the second half will be necessary to surpass these players. However, if any of these races align, it will be something worth witnessing. Here’s how the favorites are shaping up at this stage of the season.

Most Valuable Player

Shohei Ohtani has been in a constant battle with Pete Crow-Armstrong for the National League MVP. But now that he’s pitching again…

American League

Leader: Aaron Judge, New York Yankees (162 AXE)

• Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners (148)
• Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals (138)
• Jeremy Pena, Houston Astros (134)
• Byron Buxton, Minnesota Twins (133)
• Jose Ramirez, Cleveland Guardians (130)
• Ceddanne Rafaela, Boston Red Sox (129)
• Randy Arozarena, Mariners, J.P. Crawford, Mariners (124)
• Julio Rodriguez, Mariners (122)

Leader’s Trend: Judge has maintained a considerable lead throughout the season. Raleigh closed in at the end of June, but the difference has widened again. Judge is performing great.Player with the most progress: Buxton has climbed into the top five thanks to several weeks of elite performance and good health. During an 11-year career marked by injuries and spectacular plays, the first half has shown Buxton in his best form.

To note: Rafaela deserves recognition. After splitting his time between shortstop and center field in 2024, Rafaela has played almost exclusively in the outfield this season, and his defensive metrics have been exceptional. This boosts his ranking, but Rafaela has also made great strides at the plate.

National League

Leader: Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers (144 AXE)

• Pete Crow-Armstrong, Chicago Cubs (143)
• Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego Padres (136)
• Kyle Tucker, Cubs (135)
• James Wood, Washington Nationals (134)
• Will Smith, Dodgers (131)
• Pete Alonso, New York Mets, Juan Soto, Mets (129)
• Elly De La Cruz, Cincinnati Reds (128)
• Francisco Lindor, Mets (127)

Leaderboard Trend: Crow-Armstrong is still competing. Ohtani remains the favorite, but Crow-Armstrong can present a legitimate challenge.Player with the most progress: Wood continues to solidify his arrival as a star player. Despite a quiet week before the break, Wood has an OPS of .908 and projections of 42 home runs, 127 RBIs, 19 steals, and 100 runs scored since the last count.

To note: Tucker surpassed Crow-Armstrong for second place at the end of June. Tucker has an OPS of .839 at Wrigley Field compared to .905 on the road, where 12 of his 17 home runs have been connected. If the warm weather and favorable winds become constant in Chicago, a power explosion from Tucker could occur.

Cy Young

Paul Skenes’ 4-8 record doesn’t tell the whole story of his 2025 season so far.

American League

Leader: Tarik Skubal, Detroit Tigers (151 AXE)

• Garrett Crochet, Red Sox (149)
• Framber Valdez, Astros, Joe Ryan, Twins (138)
• Hunter Brown, Astros (137)
• Nathan Eovaldi, Texas Rangers (136)
• Kris Bubic, Royals (134)
• Max Fried, Yankees (133)
• Jacob deGrom, Rangers (132)
• Bryan Woo, Mariners (126)

Leader’s Trend: Skubal has solidified his position as the main contender. Skubal has performed exceptionally well, with an ERA of 1.89 in eight starts.Player with the most progress: DeGrom has shown he is recovering his historical level. His strikeout rate of 26% is the lowest in almost a decade, but he has a brilliant 2.32 ERA.

To note: Crochet has been showing great performance. Crochet leads the American League in innings pitched (129⅓), strikeouts (160), and ERA+ (185). Now, Crochet must prove he can match the current Cy Young winner.

National League

Leader: Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh Pirates (150 AXE)

• Zack Wheeler, Philadelphia Phillies (148)
• Cristopher Sanchez, Phillies (143)
• MacKenzie Gore, Nationals (135)
• Nick Pivetta, Padres (133)
• Ranger Suarez, Phillies (132)
• Andrew Abbott, Reds, Freddy Peralta, Milwaukee Brewers (131)
• Logan Webb, San Francisco Giants (130)
• Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Dodgers (128)

Leader Trend: Wheeler and Skenes are very close, but Wheeler has an advantage in the win-loss record. Wheeler also has a solid advantage in the average game score.Player with the most progress: Sanchez has positioned himself just behind Wheeler. Sanchez has had an exceptional performance since the last review, with an ERA of 1.77 and a FIP of 2.11 in nine starts.

To note: The Phillies’ rotation. Wheeler (second), Sanchez (third), and Suarez (sixth) are in the top 10. Philadelphia leads the majors in average game score and is second in the National League in win-loss percentage.

Rookie of the Year

American League Rookie of the Year favorite Jacob Wilson was the starting shortstop in Tuesday’s All-Star Game.

American League

Leader: Jacob Wilson, Athletics (121 AXE)

• Carlos Narvaez, Red Sox (120)
• Cam Smith, Astros (116)
• Noah Cameron, Royals (115)
• Nick Kurtz, Athletics (108)
• Jake Mangum, Tampa Bay Rays (107)
• Mike Vasil, Chicago White Sox, Will Warren, Yankees, Jasson Dominguez, Yankees (106)
• Roman Anthony, Red Sox (105)

Leader’s Trend: Wilson has fallen in the AXE rankings. Wilson was selected as the starting shortstop for the American League in the All-Star Game. However, Smith has replaced him as the favorite for Rookie of the Year.Player with the most progress: Smith is showing himself to be a young and complete hitter. Smith has only seven home runs, and if his game power begins to match his raw power, he can easily compensate for any loss in average with a gain in slugging.

To note: Kurtz has been increasing his pace, especially in the power category. Kurtz connected 16 home runs in 35 games.

National League

Leader: Caleb Durbin, Brewers (113 AXE)

• Chad Patrick, Brewers, Drake Baldwin, Atlanta Braves (112)
• Hyeseong Kim, Dodgers, Isaac Collins, Brewers (109)
• Jack Dreyer, Dodgers, Brad Lord, Nationals (105)
• Liam Hicks, Miami Marlins, Lake Bachar, Marlins, Yohel Pozo, St. Louis Cardinals (104)

Leader’s Trend: The race remains discreet. Patrick, the leader in this category last time, is back in Triple A. Milwaukee is full of starting pitchers.

Player with the most progress: Jacob Misiorowski has become a Major League starter to watch. Misiorowski has won his first three starts, then had a bad outing against the Mets.

To note: Kim has been as good as expected for the Dodgers. Now, he should be more of a fixed piece in the lineup, at least for a few weeks.

Manager of the Year

Pat Murphy, the current National League Manager of the Year, leads the group again.

American League

Leader: A.J. Hinch, Tigers (112 EARL)

• Joe Espada, Astros (109)
• Ron Washington, Los Angeles Angels (108)
• John Schneider, Toronto Blue Jays (107)
• Dan Wilson, Mariners (103)

Summary: It’s bittersweet to see Washington in the standings now that we know he won’t be back this season due to a health issue. The Tigers’ historic trajectory with such a young team has Hinch at the helm. Houston’s resurgence despite injuries and low performances is something that will catch a voter’s attention.

National League

Leader: Pat Murphy, Brewers (108 EARL)

• Oliver Marmol, Cardinals, Bob Melvin, Giants (106)
• Craig Counsell, Cubs, Clayton McCullough, Marlins (105)

Summary: This is a difficult race to read. Marmol is a classic candidate, guiding a team with low expectations towards a good record and playoff contention. The Cardinals could be on the verge of regression. The Brewers have become the hottest team in the National League, pushing Murphy, last year’s National League Manager of the Year, to the forefront at the break. But in both manager categories, these stories are far from written.