MLBbros Aaron Judge and Drake Baldwin are finalists for major awards voted by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.
For the third time in four years, Judge is a finalist for the American League Most Valuable Player Award, an award he won in 2022 and last year. He had a season for the ages in ‘25, leading all in Major League Baseball in batting average (.331), on-base percentage (.457), slugging (.688), on-base plus slugging (1.144), intentional walks (36) and Wins Above Replacement WAR (9.7, according to Baseball Reference).
Judge became only the third player in Major League history to hit at least 50 homers and win a batting title in the same season, joining Mickey Mantle (1956) and Jimmie Foxx (1938). The 53 homers that Judge hit were the most by any player who has won a batting title.
Judge is competing with Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh and Guardians third baseman José Ramírez for the MVP award.
As for Baldwin, he could win the Jackie Robinson Award in the National League. His first year in The Show was extraordinary. Among National League rookies, Baldwin is first in RBIs [80], slugging [.469] and OPS [.810].
Baldwin recorded 10 RBIs in the Marlins Series from Aug. 7-9, the most by any Braves rookie in a single series in the Atlanta era (since 1966). Baldwin has 19 homers, the second-most homers by an Atlanta rookie catcher, trailing only Earl Williams, who hit 33 home runs in 1971.
Besides Baldwin, Brewers third baseman Caleb Durbin and Cubs right-hander Cade Horton are finalists in the Rookie of the Year category.
