Wed May 28 03:00:00 UTC 2025: ## Early Season Awards Watch: Surprises Emerge in 2025 MLB Season
**NEW YORK, NY** – With the Memorial Day weekend in the rearview mirror, the 2025 MLB season is starting to solidify, and experts are taking a closer look at potential award contenders. A prominent analyst has unveiled his initial Awards Watch rankings, highlighting familiar faces and surprising newcomers in the MVP, Cy Young, and Rookie of the Year races for both leagues.
In the American League, Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees is the clear MVP frontrunner, continuing his dominant offensive performance. Hot on his heels are Cal Raleigh (Mariners) and Bobby Witt Jr. (Royals). Kris Bubic, also of the Royals, leads the AL Cy Young race, followed closely by Max Fried (Yankees) and Nathan Eovaldi (Rangers). Meanwhile, Oakland Athletics’ Jacob Wilson is the surprising favorite for AL Rookie of the Year, showcasing an unconventional skillset that defies traditional evaluation metrics.
The National League MVP race sees Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Chicago Cubs taking an early lead, riding a breakout season propelled by elite defense, baserunning, and surprisingly potent offense. Shohei Ohtani (Dodgers) remains a strong contender, closely followed by Fernando Tatis Jr. (Padres). In the NL Cy Young race, Jesus Luzardo of the Philadelphia Phillies is the frontrunner, finally living up to his top prospect potential. Zack Wheeler, also of the Phillies, and Paul Skenes (Pirates) are also in contention. For NL Rookie of the Year, Chad Patrick of the Milwaukee Brewers currently holds the top spot, exemplifying the team’s knack for developing unsung pitching talent.
The AL Manager of the Year race is currently led by A.J. Hinch, who is at the helm of a surging Detroit Tigers team. Rob Thomson of the Philadelphia Phillies is the NL’s frontrunner.
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