With every MLB team having crossed the one-third mark of the season and the All-Star break on the horizon, it is time to take a look at the players who have stood out so far. Here are the early-season MVP candidates at each position in each league. This is not to say that each of these players is projected to be the best at the end of the season; rather, it is to acknowledge that they have performed the best through this point in the season. (All statistics are through the end of June 4.)
Cal Raleigh is off to a monster start in 2025. Raleigh continues to be one of the best defensive catchers in the game. He not only won the Gold Glove last season as the best catcher in the American League, but he also won the Platinum Glove as the best fielder at any position. So far this year, he has only one error through 47 starts at catcher, and he continues to be one of the best pitch-framers and signal-callers in all of MLB.
Where Raleigh has improved this season has been on offense. He is tied for the major league lead in home runs with Shohei Ohtani at 23. So far this season, Raleigh has slashed .264/.375/.627 with 11 doubles, 46 RBI, 37 walks, and six steals. If he continues at this pace, all those numbers would be career highs.
In a lineup that features Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, and Mookie Betts, Will Smith has often been the clean-up hitter the past two seasons. Smith is hitting .323 with 11 doubles, five homers, and 31 RBI. He has walked (31) almost as many times as he has struck out (33).
The Dodgers have chosen to rest him some this year to try to keep him healthy, giving youngster Dalton Rushing a chance to gain some major league playing time. Otherwise, Smith’s numbers would be even better. Smith is also an excellent defender, having committed only two errors so far in 2025. He leads NL catchers in WAR at 2.3.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. always has monster second halves and may well be the choice at first base at the end of the season, but right now, Jonathan Aranda gets the nod. Aranda leads all MLB first basemen in WAR at 2.4. In his first season as a starter, Aranda led the Rays in hits, batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage.
He is slashing .326/.414/.508, which ranks fifth, third, and ninth in the AL, respectively. Aranda has 12 doubles, seven home runs, 32 RBI, and 30 runs scored. He has been excellent in the field, as well, committing only one error so far in 2025.
Pete Alonso is off to a great start, but this slot has got to go to Freddie Freeman. Freeman is leading the National League in batting average (.363), doubles (tied at 19), and OPS (1.044). He has nine home runs, 40 RBI, and 34 runs scored. His numbers might be even bigger if he hadn’t missed some games at the beginning of the season with ankle and rib problems. Freeman has just one error in the field in 2025. If he does win, it would be his second MVP award.
The Yankees decided to move on from Gleyber Torres and go a different direction. That has worked out well for the Tigers. Torres has been excellent for Detroit, slashing .270/.383/.404. He has more walks than strikeouts at 31 to 24. He has five home runs, 29 RBI, 28 runs scored, and a team-leading four stolen bases. Torres’ defense has been better than expected, as well. He has only made one error this season.
Brendan Donovan is not a household name, but St. Louis is hoping that he can stay healthy enough to become one. So far, that has not been a problem in this, his fourth MLB season. Donovan has committed only one error in 45 games at second base, and he has committed zero in his games played at shortstop (six) and in left field (12).
Donovan currently sits third in the National League with a .321 batting average, and he is tied for the league lead in doubles with 19. The 28-year-old has added four homers, 24 RBI, and 32 runs scored, while only striking out 28 times in 246 plate appearances.
This might be the hottest contested non-pitcher slot on this list. While everyone expects Bobby Witt Jr. (.287, seven HR, 35 RBI, 20 SB) to be the one to capture it at season’s end, right now he is arguably second or third, with A’s rookie Jacob Wilson (.358/.395/.509, seven HR, 33 RBI, only 16 Ks) being the other top candidate. Peña, however, gets the nod for now.
Peña is hitting .312 and leads AL shortstops with nine home runs. He has 30 RBI, ten stolen bases, and is tied with Witt for the most runs scored at the position with 32. Peña is third in all of MLB with a 3.6 WAR. The 2022 Gold Glover is turning in another stellar year on defense, ranking in the Top Three of Defensive Runs Saved and several other fielding metrics among shortstops.
Lindor is a perennial MVP candidate and has already finished in the Top Ten of MVP voting seven times. Elly De La Cruz may be more flashy and exciting, but he will strike out close to 100 more times and commit several more errors than Lindor by season’s end. Lindor, a two-time Gold Glover, leads NL shortstops with a 2.2 WAR and also in home runs, with 14. He has 36 RBI, 11 steals, 42 runs scored, and 10 doubles.
With very few threats in the Cleveland lineup other than him, José Ramírez has not been as successful this season as he has been in years past. Even so, Ramírez has slashed .327/.382/.550, with 14 doubles, 11 home runs, 29 RBI, 16 stolen bases, and 38 runs scored. Imagine what he could do if he were not surrounded by Schneemans and Rocchios. Even so, expect him to contend for an eighth Top Ten finish when the votes are all counted after the season.
Despite a slow start in the power department, Manny Machado gets the nod in a weak field here. Machado is slashing .314/.380/.484 with 17 doubles, seven home runs, 29 RBI, 41 runs scored, and eight steals. If the Padres can get the rest of their lineup healthy around him consistently, expect his run production to look better.
No surprise here, Aaron Judge is far and away the best right fielder in MLB. He leads all of baseball with a 4.8 WAR, 88 hits, a .389 batting average, a .485 on-base percentage, a .753 slugging percentage, a 1.237 OPS, 170 total bases, and 12 intentional walks. He leads the American League with 55 runs scored and has 21 homers, 50 RBI, 15 doubles, and 41 walks. Judge has played well in the field, too, only committing one error all year.
This was a dead heat between Tucker and Corbin Carroll. Ultimately, it came down to who meant more to their team. Tucker is slashing .283/.393/.522 with ten doubles, four triples, 12 home runs, 39 RBI, 40 walks, 44 runs scored, and 16 steals. He has only committed one error in the field.
Tucker has given the Cubs a superstar power threat in the lineup that they have sorely missed for years, and a veteran presence in the clubhouse. He is a five-tool player who, when healthy, is a 30-HR/30-SB threat every year. The Cubs desperately need to sign him to an extension before he becomes a free agent at season’s end.
Ceddanne Rafaela’s name in this slot will tell you just how much American League teams are starved for star power at the position. Rafaela is an excellent defensive center fielder, and it is that skill that has him leading AL center fielders in WAR with a 2.4. Rafaela is hitting .252 with ten doubles, six homers, 25 RBI, 35 runs scored, and seven steals.
He has three errors this season, and he has four outfield assists. If Julio Rodriguez can rebound from his slow start, this spot is his for the taking.
Pete Crow-Armstrong has taken the National League (and all of MLB) by storm this year. His 3.7 WAR is second only to Aaron Judge in all of MLB, and his face is all over highlight reels almost every night for a diving catch or a long home run. PCA is slashing .276/.314/.552, and he has 15 doubles, three triples, 15 home runs, 51 RBI, 21 steals, and 48 runs scored.
He has not made a single error in the outfield, and he has three outfield assists. It will be fun to see if Crow-Armstrong can maintain this pace for a full season.
Kwan has become one of the best contact hitters in baseball. He has struck out only 22 times all year, which is on pace for 58 for the season. As a reference point, Aaron Judge is on pace for 159 strikeouts this year. Kwan is slashing .312/.373/.433 with 13 doubles, five homers, 21 RBI, eight steals, and 30 runs scored on a Cleveland team that is struggling for offense this year beyond Kwan and José Ramírez. Kwan is also on pace to win his fourth straight Gold Glove.
James Wood has been everything that the Nationals had hoped he would be when they acquired him from the Padres in the Juan Soto deal. Wood is slashing .283/.379/.561 with 16 doubles, 16 home runs, 45 RBI, nine steals, and 38 runs scored. His 2.7 WAR ranks ninth in all of MLB, 24 slots ahead of Soto right now. The 6’7″ 22-year-old has only committed one error this season.
Rafael Devers leads MLB in games played (64), RBIs (54), and walks (50). Pair those numbers with 17 doubles, 12 homers, 39 runs scored, and a slash line of .285/.408/.506, and you can see why Boston has been willing to put up with Devers’ objections to moving to first base after Tristan Casas’ injury. With Alex Bregman also injured and Trevor Story mired in a season-long slump, the Sox are just happy to have Devers’ bat in the lineup every single day.
Shohei Ohtani leads the NL in runs (64), home runs (23), slugging (.650), total bases (156), and intentional walks (8). He is hitting .292 with a .388 on-base, and he has stolen 11 bases. He is 5th in MLB with a 3.0 WAR without having thrown a single pitch yet. Ohtani has been throwing live batting practice on weekends to ramp up after elbow surgery gradually.
The Dodgers hope to have him back pitching in games in a few weeks. While a bit risky after Ohtani’s history of arm issues, this could vault his MVP candidacy to the next level if he can regain his old form.
While most people expect Tarik Skubal, Garrett Crochet, or Max Fried to be the 2025 Cy Young, as of today, Kris Bubic is the top starter in the American League. The Royals’ lefty leads all MLB pitchers with a 3.5 WAR, a minuscule 1.43 ERA, and a HR/9 of only 0.4. Bubic is 5-3 with 79 strikeouts in 75 1/3 innings. He has a WHIP of 1.00, and batters are hitting just .196 against him. For someone with a career ERA of 4.10, there is a risk of some regression as the season wears on.
Kodai Senga is another off-the-board selection, but his numbers merit the slot. Senga leads the NL with a 1.60 ERA and a HR/9 of only 0.4. He is 6-3 with 59 strikeouts in 62 innings. If he can stay healthy, he has shown that he can be dominating. After a spectacular first season with the Mets, Senga missed all but one start in 2024 with shoulder and calf injuries. Most experts think that Paul Skenes will ultimately win the NL Cy Young, and he might. Remember, though, he has to pitch for an awful Pittsburgh team that doesn’t always play the best defense behind him or score any runs during his starts.
The dominating Josh Hader of old is back after an off year in 2024. Hader is a perfect 16-0 in save opportunities and sports a 1.38 ERA, a 0.73 WHIP, and a .144 opponent batting average. He has struck out 39 batters in 26 innings. A relief pitcher has not won the MVP since 1992, so don’t get your hopes up, Astros fans.
Much like Hader above, Suarez has a very small chance of winning an MVP with today’s voters. That said, he leads the majors with 19 saves in 21 chances. Suarez has not given up a home run all season, and he has a 1.98 ERA with 29 strikeouts in 27 1/3 innings. Batters are hitting just .143 against him, and his WHIP is 0.77.
As things stand right now, Aaron Judge is my pick to win his third AL MVP in four seasons. Barring serious injury, I don’t see anyone challenging him. Cal Raleigh is having a great season, but catchers tend to wear down in the second half. Plus, he is a career .224 hitter, so expect some regression toward that norm as pitchers remember how they struck him out 176 times in 2024 and revert to that approach.
As for the NL race, it will be the most interesting and the most wide-open. Will Ohtani’s return to the mound boost him or sink him in his quest for a fourth MVP in five seasons? Will Pete Crow-Armstrong continue to dazzle in only his second full season? Will the streaky Kyle Tucker put up his first 30-HR/30-SB season? Can Freddie Freeman continue to hit .365?
The safe money is on Ohtani, but I will go with Crow-Armstrong. He is a five-tool player who is showcasing all five tools at a very high level right now. He is on pace for 42 homers, 55 steals, and a ton of highlight reel catches. It is his to lose.
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