The 2025 MLB season has yet to crown its champion, but hey: That's no reason we can't get a little bit of a head start on awards season, right? Luckily, Louisville Slugger is here to help, partnering exclusively with FanSided to release the finalists at each position in both the National League and American League this season.
The winners will be selected from the group of finalists, as determined by a survey of MLB managers and coaches. The results will be announced exclusively onThe Baseball Insiders live stream on YouTube, and on FanSided.com. The National League show will take place at 6:00 p.m. ET on Nov. 6, followed by the American League show the following night at 6:00 p.m. ET on Nov. 7.
The Senior Circuit was up first, with the full list of finalists announced early Wednesday afternoon. There are plenty of the names you'd expect: your Shohei Ohtanis, your Juan Sotos, etc etc. But there were also a few inclusions that raised our eyebrows a little bit. Of course, no one who finds himself a Silver Slugger finalist can be accused of having a bad season, but we couldn't help but wonder how these three players in particular found themselves on the list.
For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB season.
C William Contreras, Milwaukee Brewers
Contreras was by no means bad this season for the NL-best Brewers. He once again managed to be in the lineup just about every day (150 games played, 128 of them at catcher), and he posted a perfectly respectable 111 OPS+ while hitting 17 homers and getting on base at a steady clip. He remains one of Milwaukee's best all-around players, and they almost certainly wouldn't have reached the NLCS without him.
Strictly at the plate, though, it's not an exaggeration to say that 2025 was Contreras' worst season in the Majors. That 111 mark was far and away a career low over a full season; he averaged a 129 OPS+ from 2022-2024. And his power, in particular, evaporated: He slugged just .399 this year after three consecutive seasons over .450. After establishing himself as one of the game's elite hitting catchers, he was simply pretty good in 2025.
Which would maybe have been worthy of a Silver Slugger nomination anyway if there weren't any other credible candidates. But as it happened, Contreras' old team, the Atlanta Braves, boasted a rookie sensation who outpaced his numbers in just about every category. Drake Baldwin only appeared in 124 games this year, but he still outdid Contreras in homers and RBI while posting a 125 wRC+ that dwarfed Contreras' 113 mark. Contreras has earned his reputation, but this felt more like a legacy nod than one based on merit.
3B Austin Riley, Atlanta Braves
OK, we said something nice about the Braves, so now it's time to balance the scales a bit: Can someone please explain to me why Riley is included as a fourth finalist at third base?
Every other position on the infield got three, the standard number; we typically only see four when there are simply too many compelling candidates to ignore. But while Manny Machado (123 wRC+), Max Muncy (137) and Matt Chapman (118) all enjoyed excellent seasons at the plate, Riley took a big step back in 2025, posting a 103 mark — by far his lowest since 2020. After averaging 36 homers a year from 2021-2023, he hit just 16 in 102 games this year to go with a .309 OBP and a career-worst strikeout rate.
He still wasn't a bad hitter, but he was also pretty far from a great one. It's a bit eyebrow-raising that his peers thought this was a season deserving of recognition, especially considering the highs we've seen Riley reach in the past. He certainly won't take home the actual hardware (at least we hope not).
OF Pete Crow-Armstrong, Chicago Cubs
For a while there, it looked like PCA might be the frontrunner to take home NL MVP honors — that's how good he was in the first half, posting an .847 OPS with 25 homers and 27 steals. Unfortunately, there are two halves to a baseball season, and Crow-Armstrong's struggles down the stretch for Chicago were downright ugly: He slashed just .216/.262/.372 after the All-Star break, hitting only six homers while striking out 63 times in 62 games.
Add it all up, and you get a real mixed bag of a season (at least offensively; it should go without saying that Crow-Armstrong is one of the most valuable defenders at any position in the sport, but that's not what we're considering here). His 109 wRC+ is still firmly above-average, but it pales in comparison to the other five outfielders who received Sliver Slugger noms in the NL this year: Juan Soto (156), Kyle Stowers (149), Corbin Carroll (139), Kyle Tucker (136) and James Wood (127).
Granted, his ability to wreak havoc on the bases makes up for at least a bit of that gap, but not enough. Fernando Tatis Jr., Seiya Suzuki, heck even Ronald Acuña Jr. (albeit in just 95 games) had a greater offensive impact this season. Crow-Armstrong was one of the stories of the year, and that deserves to be remembered, but he sticks out like a sore thumb here.