Thu Sep 11 09:20:00 UTC 2025: ## MLB Awards Watch: Judge, Ohtani, and Rising Stars Heat Up Races as Season Nears End

**As the MLB regular season winds down, the chase for individual awards is intensifying. ESPN’s Jesse Rogers and Dave Schoenfield break down the frontrunners in each category, using the “AXE” rating system, which combines publicly available value metrics to assess player performance.**

**AL MVP: A Tight Race Between Aaron Judge and Cal Raleigh**

Yankees slugger Aaron Judge and Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh are neck-and-neck for the AL MVP award. While Judge boasts superior offensive statistics and leads in win probability added, Raleigh’s historic home run pace for a catcher and strong defensive value are making a compelling case. Raleigh, the underdog according to ESPN BET odds, could snatch the MVP if he breaks Mickey Mantle’s switch-hitting home run record and leads the Mariners to the playoffs.

**NL MVP: Shohei Ohtani a Lock?**

Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani appears to have a commanding lead in the NL MVP race. His offensive prowess, coupled with his pitching contributions, make him a clear favorite. While Kyle Schwarber is a distant 2nd according to betting markets, Juan Soto is favored by the metrics.

**AL Cy Young: Skubal vs. Crochet**

Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers holds a slight edge over Garrett Crochet of the Boston Red Sox in the AL Cy Young race. Skubal’s consistent performance and slightly better overall metrics give him the advantage, but Crochet’s recent surge is keeping the race alive.

**NL Cy Young: A Dead Heat Between Skenes and Sanchez**

The NL Cy Young Award race is tight, with Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cristopher Sanchez of the Philadelphia Phillies tied in the AXE rating. Skenes’ sub-2.00 ERA is eye-catching, but Sanchez’s league-leading championship probability added total keeps him in the mix.

**AL Rookie of the Year: Kurtz’s to Lose**

Nick Kurtz of the Oakland Athletics is the overwhelming favorite for the AL Rookie of the Year Award. A four-homer game and impressive offensive stats have solidified his lead.

**NL Rookie of the Year: A Hodgepodge**

The NL Rookie of the Year race is wide open. Isaac Collins of the Milwaukee Brewers currently leads, but several rookies, including Cade Horton of the Chicago Cubs, are in contention.

**Manager of the Year Races**

A.J. Hinch of the Detroit Tigers and Pat Murphy of the Milwaukee Brewers are favored to win AL and NL Manager of the Year awards, respectively. Hinch is neck and neck with John Schneider. Murphy’s Brewers’ success and reliance on rookies give him a commanding lead in the NL.

As the season draws to a close, these award races are sure to provide plenty of excitement and debate among baseball fans.

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