The MLB regular season came to an end on Sunday, and Bill Ladson offers his pre-playoffs season-ending awards. Here’s to the brothas who made a difference on the diamond in 2025.
Outstanding Player: Aaron Judge, Yankees — Here’s why he is an MVP candidate in the American League: Judge will be the first member of the Yankees to win a batting title since DJ LeMahieu did the trick in 2000. Judge has a slash line of .331/.458/.691 with 53 homers and 114 RBIs. According to Baseball Reference, Judge leads the Major Leagues in WAR at 9.2 and that’s 2.1 points above Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes. Since the beginning of the season, opposing pitchers showed they don’t like facing Judge. That’s why he was walked intentionally 35 times, breaking Ted Williams’ mark which was set in 1957, according to Stats.
Best Rookie: Drake Baldwin, Braves — His first year in The Show has been extraordinary. Among National League rookies, Baldwin is first in RBIs [80], slugging [.474] and OPS [.818]. 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.
Defensive Player of the Year: Ke’Bryan Hayes, Pirates and Reds — His stick has been a disappointment after having a great first year in 2020, but his glove remains one of the best in baseball. In fact, according to the Fielding Bible, Hayes ranked fourth in the Major Leagues in defensive runs saved with 19. Hayes’ range and throwing ability are dope.
Outstanding pitcher: Hunter Greene, Reds — There aren’t many Bros on the hill, but Greene stood out. After coming off the Injured List on Aug. 13, Greene showed how much he wants to be in the postseason. In eight starting assignments, Greens is 3-1 with a 2.81 ERA with 59 strikeouts in 48 innings. His best game was Sept. 18, when he pitched a complete game shutout against the Cubs. He relied heavily on his four seamer and slider and opposing hitters went a combined 66-for-361 [.183] against those two pitches during that span.
Comeback Player: George Springer, Blue Jays — The fans and his teammates call him Uncle George because he is one of oldest players on the team. But he is playing the game of baseball like a young pup. He has a slash line of .309/.399/.560 with 84 RBIs and 106 runs scored. Entering the season, it’s safe to say that Springer was a bust with Toronto after signing a six-year, $150 million deal in December of 2020. In his first four years with Toronto, Springer had a slash line of .251/.328/.764. Year Five has turned out to be a different story.
Most Improved Player: Trent Grisham, Yankees – His defense was never in question. After all, he won two Gold Gloves entering the 2025 season. But the stick was inconsistent. In fact, he didn’t play one inning for the Bronx Bombers in the 2024 postseason. They preferred to use Alex Verdugo over him. But this year was a different story for Grisham, who became the Yankees’ everyday center fielder and delivered a slash line of .235/.348/.464 with a career high 34 homers in his walk year.
Breakout Player of the Year: Jo Adell, Angels – The team waited six years for him to come into his own and it finally happened this season. He set career highs in homers [37] and RBIs [98]. He was at his best with men on base, hitting .283 with 14 home runs and 74 RBIs.
The Reset Button Award: Jordan Walker, Cardinals – Ever since he became St. Louis’ first-round pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, inconsistency is an understatement. He will have a batting average below .220 and WAR of -1.7. Maybe he should focus only on offense in ‘26. He ranked last on the team in defensive runs saved [-10].
Breakout Player in 2026: Daylen Lile, Nationals – Ever since he made his Major League debut on May 23, 2025, Lile has been one of the best rookies in the National League. Entering Sunday’s action against the White Sox, Lile has a slash line of .299/.347/.498 with nine homers and 41 RBIs. Expect his defense and baserunning to improve in ‘26. His tremendous work ethic says it will happen.
Making Up For Lost Time Award: Giancarlo Stanton, Yankees – He was inconsistent in the batter’s box from 2022-24. He had a combined slash line of .212/.291/.454 and averaged 27 home runs and 135 strikeouts per season. But this year is a different story. After he was activated from the Injured List on June 16, the Yankees slugger had a slash line of .273/.350/.594 with 24 homers and 66 RBIs. He is absolutely spraying the ball all over the place. For example, 12 of his 24 homers have been hit over the right-field or right center-field wall.
Change of Scenery Award: Mookie Betts, Dodgers – He will be the first to say that he is still learning to play shortstop, but in his first full year at the position, Betts was in the top 10 in the Major Leagues in Defensive Runs Saved, according to the Fielding Bible. He credits former Major Leaguer Troy Tulowitzki for his success on the left side of the diamond. During the offseason, Betts spent time with the former Rockies shortstop who taught him the techniques of playing shortstop. The biggest advice Tulo gave him was trust his athleticism and he will figure it out as the days go by.
Best Trade Deadline Acquisition Award: Josh Naylor, Mariners – acquired from the D-Backs before the MLB Trade Deadline, Naylor gave Seattle a boost in the batter’s box, especially in September. He had a slash line of .364/.398/.584 with four homers during the month. Hopefully, he will be available for the postseason. He is currently dealing with groin tightness.
