With roughly a week remaining in the regular season, much of the conversation is (rightfully) on the MLB playoff picture.
And hoo boy, is there a lot to dissect.
Will the Detroit Tigers’ epic collapse have them missing the postseason altogether? Who will get the final two wild card spots in the American League between the Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Guardians, Houston Astros and Tigers? Who will get the final wild card spot in the National League between the Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets and Arizona Diamondbacks?
The storylines are fascinating. But let’s take a different angle at this, specifically with awards season coming up. Let’s do one big MVP ballot, combining both the National and American Leagues. Here’s what that would look like.
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1. Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers
Yes, a very unoriginal pick. But as long as Ohtani exists, as long as he’s performing at this level at the plate and at the mound, he will almost surely be atop the MVP ballots.
Ohtani, 31, has been fantastic once again this season, hitting .283/.395/.620 with a 1.015 OPS, 53 home runs and 99 RBI. Those numbers are still lesser than they were last season, albeit not by much (except for RBI; he had 130 RBI last season). But he’s been historically excellent once again, with the superstar two-way player also posting a 3.29 ERA in 13 starts.
Quite frankly, Ohtani is a steal on a 10-year, $700 million contract. And the Dodgers’ superstar will once again add an MVP award to his already very deep trophy case.
2. Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners
What the Seattle Mariners did before the season, signing Raleigh to a six-year, $105 million contract, was brilliant.
Had they waited, Raleigh’s price would have been significantly more than that in free agency. His numbers this year — .247/.360/.589 with a .949 OPS, 58 home runs and 121 RBI — are historic. He is the single-season home run record holder for a switch hitter, surpassing Mickey Mantle, and has the most homers in a season by a Mariner in franchise history.
Raleigh, also known as the Big Dumper, is a significant reason why the Mariners are in position to win the American League West. And he’s a huge reason why the Mariners should be viewed as a massive threat to represent the American League in the World Series.
3. Aaron Judge, New York Yankees
Deciding between Raleigh and Judge for spots 2 and 3 was really, really tough. But I feel comfortable putting Judge at No. 3.
And that’s no slight on Judge. It’s just that what we have seen this season from Raleigh, a switch-hitting catcher, has never been seen before. But Judge has once again been excellent, hitting .326/.451/.672 with a 1.123 OPS, 49 home runs and 105 RBI.
Judge needs to step up in the postseason if the Yankees are to win the World Series. He didn’t last season, and that criticism followed him for months. The best way for him to quiet those doubters is by having a strong postseason in 2025 and the feeling around baseball from scouts and rivals is that he’ll do just that.
4. Kyle Schwarber, Philadelphia Phillies
My love for Schwarber is well documented. I truly don’t know if there’s a bigger Schwarber fan in baseball than me.
The season he’s put up — 53 home runs and 129 RBI — have positioned the Phillies to be a major threat to dethrone the Dodgers in the National League. He’s also positioned himself to be very, very rich in free agency, with the Phillies and other suitors salivating at the chance to sign him to his next multi-year contract.
Schwarber is a power-hitter. He’s great at getting on base. He’s a tremendous teammate. He’s everything you want in a player in person, and the fact that Schwarber, who was once non-tendered early in his career, is now in the MVP conversation … it’s a pretty remarkable story. And one that is likely to end with him being in the Hall of Fame.