New MVP poll! Judge, Ohtani hold strong, but new name emerges in NL

We’ve crossed the halfway point of the 2025 season, and with that, the MVP conversations in both the American League and the National League feature much more than “early favorites.”

The players who are the leading candidates to be named Most Valuable Player in their respective league this deep into the year have a great chance to take home some prestigious hardware when it’s all said and done.

That’s not to say, however, that there isn’t still time for others to make a run – in the latest MLB.com MVP poll, that is especially evident in the NL results, which include some significant shuffling and a fresh name among the top five.

Here’s a look at the latest MVP rankings from a poll of 43 MLB.com experts who considered not just what players have done so far during the 2025 campaign, but also what they expect to happen between now and the end of the regular season.

Voters ranked their top five picks in each league on a 5-4-3-2-1 scale -- five points for a first-place vote, four points for a second-place vote and so on. Here are the results.

All stats are through Monday's games.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

1. Aaron Judge, Yankees (35 first-place votes)

He may not be hitting near .400 anymore, but Judge remains the man to beat in our MVP polling, and for good reason. The game's premier slugger has continued his march toward another potentially historic season, keeping his batting average above .350 while still mashing home runs at a furious pace and leading MLB with a 1.175 OPS.

This past weekend, Judge registered his 44th career multi-homer game, which moved him past none other than Lou Gehrig for third in Yankees history. He’s only two shy of tying Mickey Mantle for second, and Babe Ruth’s franchise mark of 68 isn’t out of the question for the greatest home run hitter in the game today.

2. Cal Raleigh, Mariners (eight first-place votes)

Raleigh has been a machine for the Mariners, cranking home run after home run to put himself atop the MLB leaderboard with 33 on the season. It’s no fluke -- while some may have considered his early homer barrage an aberration, the man they call “Big Dumper” has just kept on crushing the ball.

In fact, only Barry Bonds (39 in 2001) and Mark McGwire (37 in 1998) hit more home runs before the end of June in MLB history. While earlier this season, we may have wondered whether Raleigh could really maintain the incredible pace he set, now the question is becoming: Will he hit 50? Or, dare we ask: 60?

3. José Ramírez, Guardians

Here’s where there has been a slight change in the AL rankings from our last MVP poll -- while Judge and Raleigh remain the top two, Ramírez has swapped places with Bobby Witt Jr., who was at No. 3. J-Ram is the very definition of consistent excellence. In fact, his .871 OPS is one point off his OPS from last season.

Ramírez has belted 13 home runs and stolen 21 bases, but he’ll need a huge run down the stretch to have a fighting chance at claiming what has been an elusive MVP honor given what Judge and Raleigh are doing -- so far in his career, J-Ram has finished among the top six in AL MVP balloting six times.

4. Bobby Witt Jr., Royals

Witt isn’t having the sensational campaign he had when he finished runner-up to Judge in AL MVP voting last year, but he remains one of the game’s premier players, capable of going on a hot streak that can elevate him in these rankings.

The 25-year-old superstar is still having a strong offensive season -- his OPS is well over .800 -- but his slugging percentage is around 100 points below what it was in 2024. Defensively, of course, he remains one of the elite shortstops in baseball, seeking to make it two consecutive Gold Glove Awards at the position.

5. Tarik Skubal, Tigers

When a pitcher is in the top five of an MVP poll, you know he’s having a phenomenal season -- only two pitchers have been named MVP this century (Justin Verlander with the Tigers in 2011, and Clayton Kershaw with the Dodgers in 2014).

Could Skubal join Verlander as another Tigers hurler to win the honor? It’s tough to envision that happening given what the top two on this list are doing, but who’s to say he won’t sometime over the next few years? The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner has arguably been even better in 2025 -- he owns a lower ERA (2.15), lower FIP (1.98) and higher strikeout rate (33.4%) than in ’24.

Others receiving votes: Jeremy Peña (Astros), Byron Buxton (Twins), Riley Greene (Tigers), Jacob Wilson (A’s), Jonathan Aranda (Rays), Junior Caminero (Rays), Hunter Brown (Astros), Alejandro Kirk (Blue Jays), Julio Rodríguez (Mariners), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Blue Jays), Steven Kwan (Guardians), Garrett Crochet (Red Sox)

NATIONAL LEAGUE

1. Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers (39 first-place votes)

Ohtani continues to lead our MVP poll … and he’s been at the top of the rankings since before he returned to the mound last month. All he’s done over three starts since then is throw the fastest pitch of his Major League career (101.7 mph) and post a 2.25 ERA.

We’re sure to see more incredible exploits from the two-way sensation on the mound, but it’s his hitting that has him atop this list. The three-time MVP leads the NL in homers (29), slugging (.633), OPS (1.021) and runs scored (82, leads MLB) just to name a few categories. We’ve been spoiled by Ohtani as he continues to make the near impossible look customary.

A fourth MVP Award would place Ohtani into exclusive company -- only Bonds (seven) won more than three MVP honors during his career.

2. Pete Crow-Armstrong, Cubs (three first-place votes)

Who saw this coming? Crow-Armstrong has proven that what he’s doing is the real deal. We knew he had pop in his bat and incredible speed, but midway through his second full Major League season, PCA has 21 homers and 25 steals to go along with his Gold Glove-caliber defense in center field.

Any time Crow-Armstrong steps to the plate has become must-see TV. He’s become one of the most electric players in the game and is a big reason why the Cubs are perched atop the NL Central standings.

3. Kyle Tucker, Cubs

PCA has been tremendous, but he’s not the only Cubs player in these rankings. Tucker has been everything Chicago could have asked for after he was acquired in an offseason trade with the Astros.

In our last MVP poll, the 28-year-old right fielder was at No. 5, but thanks to a 1.140 OPS and four home runs over his past 12 games, he jumps into the top three. His last homer came against his former club in his return to Houston as part of a four-hit performance on Saturday.

4. Juan Soto, Mets (one first-place vote)

Following a “slow” start to his first season with the Mets -- at least by his standards -- Soto finally broke out in June with a .322/.474/.722 slash line and 11 homers to vault into the top five here.

The Mets have been sliding, but if there’s one consolation in Queens right now, it’s that their $765 million man is hot at the plate.

5. James Wood, Nationals

Wood has emerged as one of the league’s best all-around outfielders in just his second full season in the Majors. The 6-foot-7, 234-pound slugger has put up big numbers at the plate for Washington while showing remarkable agility defensively for a man his size.

With a .938 OPS, 22 home runs and 64 RBIs to go along with +6 defensive runs saved, Wood has already produced nearly 4 WAR in 84 games and cracks the top five in our rankings -- and could very well find himself among the top five in these rankings for years to come. It's definitely not hard to envision an MVP Award in his bright future.

Others receiving votes: Pete Alonso (Mets), Will Smith (Dodgers), Fernando Tatis Jr. (Padres), Corbin Carroll (D-backs), Francisco Lindor (Mets), Elly De La Cruz (Reds), Trea Turner (Phillies), Ronald Acuña Jr. (Braves), Paul Skenes (Pirates), Freddie Freeman (Dodgers), Zack Wheeler (Phillies), Ketel Marte (D-backs), Kyle Schwarber (Phillies), Seiya Suzuki (Cubs)