Comeback Player of the Year: Jacob deGrom (AL), Ronald Acuña Jr. (NL)
DeGrom was the best pitcher on the planet for a few years, winning back-to-back Cy Young Awards in 2018 and 2019 as a member of the New York Mets. After injuries derailed his last couple of years in New York, deGrom signed with the Texas Rangers in December of 2022. Unfortunately, his first year with Texas was cut short due to a UCL tear that caused him to miss the better part of the 2023 season and almost all of 2024.
This year, his first full season as a Ranger, deGrom was again one of the best pitchers in the league. The right-hander finished the season with a 2.97 ERA in 30 starts, recording 185 strikeouts to just 37 walks over 1722⁄3 innings.
Acuña suffered a complete tear of his ACL in 2024, but immediately reasserted himself as one of the best players in the league upon his return. Over 95 games with the Atlanta Braves, the 27-year-old outfielder slashed .290/.417/.518. Of the 215 players who had more than 400 plate appearances this season, only five had a higher OPS than Acuña.
Reliever of the Year: Aroldis Chapman (AL), Edwin Díaz (NL)
Chapman, a legendary reliever who has a case for the Hall of Fame, may have had his best season at the age of 37. The flamethrowing lefty posted the lowest ERA of his career (1.17) and saved 32 games for the Boston Red Sox. Díaz was also lights out all season for the New York Mets, recording his best ERA (1.63) since he got down-ballot Cy Young and MVP votes in 2022.
Hank Aaron Award: Aaron Judge (AL), Shohei Ohtani (NL)
It’s no surprise that the AL and NL MVPs also happened to be named the best hitters in their respective leagues. Ohtani was named the unanimous MVP of the National League for the third straight year. The American League MVP race was a nail-biter between Aaron Judge (who received 17 first-place votes and 13 second-place votes) and Cal Raleigh (who received the other 13 first-place votes and 17 second-place votes). Ultimately, Judge was also recognized as the best hitter in the American League despite Raleigh’s 60-homer season.
For more on Ohtani and Judge, check out Harrison’s coverage of the 2025 MVP Awards here.
Edgar Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter Award: Shohei Ohtani
No surprise here, either — the NL MVP also happens to be a DH. Ohtani put up 6.2 bWAR as a position player despite serving as a designated hitter. On the season, Ohtani hit .282/.392/.622 with 55 homers, 102 RBIs, 146 runs, and 20 steals. This is now the fifth time in a row that Ohtani has won the award; the last non-Ohtani player to win it was Marcell Ozuna in 2020.
