Here is each team's MVP of the first half

Halfway through the 2025 MLB season, every team has at least one player who has clearly established himself or is making a strong case as the team's most valuable player through the first three months.

Some of the names are ones we expected coming into the season, but there are also some pleasant surprises who have emerged.

With the help of MLB.com's 30 beat writers, here's a look at every team's first-half MVP.

All stats are through Saturday's games.

Jump to: AL East | AL Central | AL West | NL East | NL Central | NL West

American League East

Orioles: 1B/OF/DH Ryan O'Hearn

O’Hearn has frequently carried Baltimore’s offense during the first half. While plenty of O’s players are having surprisingly down years, the 31-year-old is having a career season, which has him on the cusp of his first All-Star selection of his eight-year MLB tenure. Entering Sunday, he was hitting .294 with nine doubles, 11 home runs, 30 RBIs and an .854 OPS through 69 games. He has played multiple positions (first base, corner outfield and designated hitter) and served as a leader in the Orioles’ clubhouse. -- Jake Rill

Red Sox: LHP Garrett Crochet

While Alex Bregman had a case before he was injured in late May and Rafael Devers had one before he was traded two weeks ago, Crochet is now the obvious choice. The ace has been everything the Red Sox envisioned when they traded four prospects for him and subsequently signed him to a six-year, $170 million extension. Crochet leads the AL in innings (109 1/3) and leads the Majors in strikeouts (135), and is among the league leaders in ERA (2.06). The only thing he’s lacked is run support, which would have had him at double-digit wins by now instead of seven. -- Ian Browne

Rays: 1B Jonathan Aranda

There are plenty of good candidates on the surging Rays’ roster, from starter Drew Rasmussen to lineup mainstays Yandy Díaz, Brandon Lowe and Junior Caminero. But the answer is Aranda, the breakout slugger who has been Tampa Bay’s most consistent hitter throughout the first half. Manning first base most days, Aranda entered the Rays’ weekend finale in Baltimore slashing .330/.411/.504 with 10 homers, 16 doubles and 44 RBIs in 78 games. Aranda entered Sunday with the Majors’ 10th-best OPS and fourth-highest wRC+, making him an obvious All-Star candidate for MLB’s hottest team. -- Adam Berry

Blue Jays: C Alejandro Kirk

Fresh off his five-year, $58 million extension in Spring Training, Kirk has paired an offensive renaissance with his excellent defense once again, playing at an All-Star level. His 3.0 fWAR through Saturday already betters his total from a year ago and he’s well on the way to surpassing his career high of 4.3 fWAR in 2022. Kirk was batting .315 entering Sunday and driving the ball more consistently this season, which has been extremely valuable to the Blue Jays as Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette took some time to round into form. That extension already looks like a fantastic piece of business by this front office. -- Keegan Matheson

Yankees: OF Aaron Judge

With two American League MVPs already under his belt, Judge is off and sprinting toward a third. Entering Sunday, he led the Yankees in almost every offensive category: slash line (.354/.456/.705), games (82), at-bats (305), hits (108), total bases (215), homers (28), RBIs (63) and walks (55). Where would the Yankees be without him? They’re glad they don’t need to find out. -- Bryan Hoch

American League Central

White Sox: 3B/1B Miguel Vargas

This vote probably wouldn’t have gone to Vargas after April, when he hit .219 with a .610 OPS and just one home run. But after a change in hand placement on his swing, Vargas has taken off as a true middle-of-the-order presence. Since April 23, covering 58 games through Saturday, Vargas has a .265/.340/.493 slash line with 10 home runs, 15 doubles and 28 RBIs. He ranked among the American League leaders during May in homers and slugging and has played exceptional defense at third base and first base. -- Scott Merkin

Guardians: 3B José Ramírez

No surprise here. Ramírez has once more been one of the best hitters in the Majors this season, and his production has been crucial to the Guardians while they have been looking to get on track in June. Entering Sunday, the 32-year-old led Cleveland in average (.312), on-base percentage (.373), slugging (.505), hits (92), homers (T-13), RBIs (38) and stolen bases (21). He also entered Sunday with three Outs Above Average (tied for fourth among third baseman) despite finishing March/April with -5. Ramírez is well positioned to earn his seventh All-Star Game nod. -- Tim Stebbins

Tigers: LHP Tarik Skubal

Though Riley Greene has a case amidst his June tear, Skubal picked up where he left off in his pitching Triple Crown season of 2024, lowering his ERA, FIP and WHIP and improving his strikeout-to-walk ratio. Meanwhile, his deeper starts have helped manager A.J. Hinch ease the workload on a bullpen that has shown some of the wear and tear from last year's pitching chaos. -- Jason Beck

Royals: LHP Kris Bubic

The Royals have sustained injuries to their rotation and an offense that has been trying to click for the entire first half now. But Bubic has consistently kept the team in games and sported a 2.18 ERA across 15 starts this season entering Sunday. This is the lefty’s first full season back on the mound after Tommy John surgery in 2023. He helped the Royals from the bullpen down the stretch last year, and now he’s proving even more valuable in the rotation. -- Anne Rogers

Twins: OF Byron Buxton

This is an easy call. Buxton has been simply brilliant, and could very well be on his way to the best season of his career. He’s hitting for average and power, stealing bases, and playing his usual brilliant defense, all for a team that has desperately needed the spark he can bring. -- Matthew Leach

American League West

Athletics: SS Jacob Wilson

Wilson has a strong shot at becoming the first fan-elected rookie shortstop to start the All-Star Game, and that’s a product of his quick emergence as one of the game’s elite hitters. He entered Sunday trailing only Aaron Judge for most hits and highest batting average in the Majors, while leading all MLB rookies in batting, on-base percentage, OPS, runs, hits and RBIs. Wilson’s 24 extra-base hits entering Sunday were third-most among rookies. -- Martín Gallegos

Astros: SS Jeremy Peña

With injured slugger Yordan Alvarez limited to 100 at-bats and Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker playing elsewhere, Peña has blossomed into the leader of a first-place club. Peña already has an ALCS and World Series MVP to his name, but swing changes, a revamped batting stance and improved plate discipline have taken him to another level. He was slashing .322/.378/.489 through Saturday with 11 homers, 40 RBIs and 15 stolen bases, while playing a Gold Glove-caliber shortstop. Since being moved to the leadoff spot on April 27, Peña has a .353 batting average and has become a star. -- Brian McTaggart

Angels: SS Zach Neto

Neto missed the first 18 games of the year after undergoing right shoulder surgery in early November but has more than made up for his missed time. He’s developed more power this season (12 homers; .808 OPS) and remains a strong defender at short and a plus baserunner. He’s currently dealing with some shoulder soreness stemming from a slide on Tuesday but is expected to return to the lineup soon. -- Rhett Bollinger

Mariners: C Cal Raleigh

He hasn't just been the Mariners' best player, but Raleigh has also thrust himself into the conversation for AL MVP -- leading the league in homers (32 entering Sunday) while reaching a pace for arguably the best offensive season from a catcher in history. -- Daniel Kramer

Rangers: RHP Jacob deGrom

The entire pitching staff has kept the Rangers hovering around .500 with a subpar offense, and it’s no surprise that deGrom has been the best of them. The actual surprise is that he has been the healthiest of them. With his no-hit bid in Baltimore on June 25, deGrom has posted 13 consecutive starts of five or more innings and two or fewer runs (beginning 4/18), the longest such streak in Senators/Rangers franchise history (since 1961) and longest streak in MLB this season. In that span, he’s posted a 1.67 ERA, ranking at or near the top among MLB pitchers in WHIP (first, 0.81), BR/9 (first, 7.36), ERA (second) and H/9 (third, 5.69).

National League East

Braves: 1B Matt Olson

Ronald Acuña Jr. deserves consideration, despite missing the first 49 games. But the only consistent offensive producer has been Olson, who is on pace for his fourth 30-homer, 100-RBI season going back to 2021. Among MLB first basemen, Olson ranks first in Outs Above Average (eight) and second in fWAR (2.5). -- Mark Bowman

Marlins: OF Kyle Stowers

Despite a three-week blip in June, Stowers entered Sunday leading the team in OPS+ (132), homers (13) and RBIs (40). Miami is 16-6 when he drives in a run. The 27-year-old emerged as one of the early-season breakout stars with a pair of walk-off knocks, one on Opening Day and another on May 3 that culminated in a dramatic grand slam off a 101.7 mph pitch. -- Christina De Nicola

Mets: OF Juan Soto

A month ago, it may not have seemed realistic for Soto to be the Mets’ MVP over Francisco Lindor or Pete Alonso. But here we are. While the other two have proven relatively inconsistent over the first half of the season, Soto has overcome his slow start to be a rock in this lineup. He is at or near the team lead in almost every major offensive category, including bWAR. Soto is on pace to set a franchise record for walks, allowing him to construct several lengthy on-base streaks. His defensive metrics will always dampen his overall value a bit, but no Met has changed games the way Soto has. -- Anthony DiComo

Phillies: DH Kyle Schwarber

A case could certainly be made for Zack Wheeler, who once again finds himself squarely in the Cy Young mix this season. That said, the Phillies’ rotation has been their biggest strength overall, while the offensive load has largely fallen to Schwarber, especially with Bryce Harper missing time recently. Entering Sunday, Schwarber led the Phils with 25 homers, while no other Phillie had more than 11 (Trea Turner). Schwarber also leads the club in RBIs, runs, walks, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. -- Todd Zolecki

Nationals: OF James Wood

The slugging James Wood not only leads the Nationals, but also NL outfielders in multiple offensive categories. Entering Sunday, he led primary NL outfielders in home runs and RBIs, and ranked second in OPS, OPS+, hard-hit percentage and win probability added. In the field, Wood was tied for the NL lead among left fielders with six defensive runs saved (per FanGraphs). Wood, 22, is making a strong case for his All-Star debut in his first full season in the Majors. -- Jessica Camerato

National League Central

Cubs: OF Pete Crow-Armstrong

Kyle Tucker has lived up to his star billing and has made an instant impact on the Cubs’ lineup this season, but the emergence of Crow-Armstrong as a budding star has been the story of the first half on the North Side. The 23-year-old center fielder has not only been an elite defender, but has combined surprising power with plus speed. Crow-Armstrong has been near or at the top of the NL’s Fangraphs WAR leaderboard for a couple of months, became the fastest Cubs player in history to reach a 20-20 season and is poised for his first All-Star game. -- Jordan Bastian

Reds: SS Elly De La Cruz

Since late May, De La Cruz has gotten hot and stayed hot and it's a big reason that the Reds have found their long-sought momentum. Entering Sunday, the 23-year-old led Cincinnati in home runs (18), RBIs (56), OPS (.859), runs (65) and of course, stolen bases (22). Although he also led the team in strikeouts through Saturday (90), his K-rate has dropped from its extremely high 2024 level. -- Mark Sheldon

Brewers: OF Sal Frelick

Going into Sunday, Frelick led the Brewers in fWAR (2.0) while slashing .295/.355/.387, but his value has been especially noticed since manager Pat Murphy moved him up to the leadoff spot on June 12. Over the first 14 games with Frelick in that spot, the Brewers led the National League in runs scored, batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage while going 11-3. It all starts with Frelick, a former first-round Draft pick and a favorite of Murphy’s for his scrappy style at the plate and his Gold Glove Award-winning defense in the field. -- Adam McCalvy

Pirates: RHP Paul Skenes

I mean, who else? Skenes is tops among all National League pitchers in WAR, ERA and WHIP and could very well follow up his Rookie of the Year campaign with a Cy Young. His 4-7 record is more a product of the Pirates’ offense than Skenes’ performance, but his presence still offers hope for the future of the franchise. -- Alex Stumpf

Cardinals: INF/OF Brendan Donovan

The former Gold Glover has been solid again defensively while also evolving into the Cardinals’ most consistent hitter. Entering Sunday, Donovan led all primary second basemen in batting average (.302) and doubles (21), and was tied for first in hits (89). Also, he ranked second in on-base percentage (.372) and OPS (.805). And the lefty-hitting Donovan leads all National Leaguers in batting against right-handed pitchers at a .345 clip and is tied for the lead with three four-hit games. Remarkably, Donovan has been even better in Interleague games. He went into Sunday ranking first among all MLB players in hits in Interleague play and was second in doubles. All of it should lead to Donovan’s first All-Star appointment this season. -- John Denton

National League West

D-backs: 2B Ketel Marte

Outfielder Corbin Carroll has a strong case for this as well, but even with the time he missed with a hamstring injury, Marte has been the catalyst that drives the offense. As pitcher Merrill Kelly said of Marte, “When he goes, we go.” Marte was the leading vote-getter at second base in the most recent All-Star Game balloting update and while his defense is not quite as good as it was last year, offensively he has taken his game to another level. -- Steve Gilbert

Rockies: C Hunter Goodman

In his first full season as a catcher in the Majors, Goodman has been one of the best offensive players at the position. Heading into Sunday's play, Goodman (out of the lineup the previous three games with hamstring tightness) was second in the Majors this month in extra-base hits (15), second in slugging (.734), fifth in OPS (1.108) and tied for fifth-most in total bases (58). The oddity is that he is hitting .297 (44-for-148) with 11 home runs on the road and .277 (39-for-141) with three home runs at home. He has been the most consistent offensive player from the start of the season on a struggling club. -- Thomas Harding

Dodgers: DH/P Shohei Ohtani

Will Smith deserves to be in the conversation here, as he's been one of the Dodgers' most steady and impactful bats. But now that Ohtani is back on the mound -- even though he's building up slowly -- there's not much real competition. Ohtani continues to set the tone for the lineup out of the leadoff spot, and his stuff has looked nasty in his return from a second major surgery on his right elbow. -- Sonja Chen

Padres: 3B Manny Machado

Fernando Tatis Jr. has been outstanding at times this season, and Nick Pivetta has anchored a makeshift pitching staff. But nobody has been steadier than the 33-year-old Machado. He entered play Sunday just seven hits shy of 2,000 for his career, after passing the 350-homer milestone earlier this month. In a lineup that was beset by early injuries, Machado’s steadiness has helped keep the Padres’ offense afloat. He leads the team in hits, on-base percentage and slugging percentage, while playing solid defense at third base. -- AJ Cassavell

Giants: RHP Logan Webb

Webb has been one of the best starting pitchers in the National League for a while, but he’s taken another step forward by significantly boosting his strikeout rate this year (27.7%). Webb entered Sunday with 3.4 fWAR, tied for second among Major League starters, and ranked second in the NL in innings (107 1/3), second in ERA (2.52) and third in strikeouts (120), putting him squarely in the mix for his first career Cy Young Award. -- Maria Guardado