We’re approaching the halfway point of the 2025 season, and the Rookie of the Year races in both leagues are beginning to take shape.
Or are they?
Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson and Braves catcher Drake Baldwin own commanding leads in the American and National Leagues, respectively, according to a panel of 35 MLB.com experts.
But we’re well into callup season, and some recently promoted prospects are threatening to shake up what we thought we knew about this class of rookies. We’re already seeing phenoms such as Marcelo Mayer (Red Sox), Roman Anthony (Red Sox), Jac Caglianone (Royals), Jacob Misiorowski (Brewers) and Mick Abel (Phillies) get votes in our poll despite logging far less playing time than the leaders thus far.
Our voters are accounting for each player’s stats so far and how they expect rookies to perform through the end of the season. Rookies received vote points 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 below are through Monday's games.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
1. Jacob Wilson, SS, Athletics (33 first-place votes)
Wilson came oh-so-close to being a unanimous choice this time around, receiving all but one first-place vote after coming up three votes short in our previous poll. Since the previous poll was released on May 20, Wilson has batted .404, raising his average to .362, with three of his eight home runs. He continues to own comfortable leads among AL rookies in runs, hits, RBIs, on-base percentage and slugging percentage.
Narváez raised his profile by making a mark on one of baseball’s most heated rivalries, beating his former team, the Yankees, with a walk-off single on June 14. The 26-year-old catcher didn’t come into the season with as much hype as many of his fellow rookies, especially after he was involved in a low-profile trade from New York to Boston in December. But he’s holding his own with the best of them – his 15 doubles are tied with Wilson for most among AL rookies.
3. Shane Smith, RHP, White Sox
The No. 1 pick in December’s Rule 5 Draft continues to make the White Sox look clairvoyant. Though he had fallen below the innings threshold to qualify for the AL ERA title prior to Tuesday night's start against the Cardinals, Smith’s 2.37 ERA was the best among AL rookies with at least 50 innings pitched. Meanwhile, his 64 strikeouts rank second among all AL rookies. He allowed just one run over his first two June starts, covering 11 1/3 innings.
4. Jasson Domínguez, LF, Yankees
The 22-year-old Domínguez was generating some buzz around the time of the last poll, with an 11-for-39 stretch that included four home runs and helped him elevate his slugging percentage to .438. Since May 22, however, Domínguez hasn’t homered, and his slugging has fallen to .385. With that said, he still ranks third among AL rookies in runs scored (29) and steals (nine), and is second in walks (26) and RBIs (26).
5. Roman Anthony, RF, Red Sox
Here’s our first “we think he’s going to do great things” pick, slightly hedged since the 21-year-old outfielder has stepped to the plate just 23 times in the big leagues. He showed a lot in Triple-A, though, and could have a clearer path to regular playing time after Boston traded Rafael Devers to the Giants. He’s ranked as the game's No. 1 overall prospect by MLB Pipeline and walloped his first MLB homer on Monday night in Seattle.
Others receiving votes: Jac Caglianone (Royals), Marcelo Mayer (Red Sox; one first-place vote), Noah Cameron (Royals), Chase Meidroth (White Sox), Kristian Campbell (Red Sox; one first-place vote), Tomoyuki Sugano (Orioles), Will Warren (Yankees), Jack Leiter (Rangers), Cam Smith (Astros), Nick Kurtz (Athletics), Logan Evans (Mariners), Hunter Dobbins (Red Sox), Mike Vasil (White Sox)
NATIONAL LEAGUE
1. Drake Baldwin, C, Braves (24 first-place votes)
Baldwin received the most first-place votes in last month’s poll but has now taken the top spot from teammate AJ Smith-Shawver, who underwent season-ending elbow reconstruction surgery earlier this month. Since we last checked in on May 20, Baldwin has hit just .173. But his .287 average still leads NL rookies with at least 75 at-bats, as does his .471 slugging percentage. Playing time could be an issue going forward, as veteran Sean Murphy has started seven games at catcher for Atlanta so far in June to Baldwin’s six.
2. Hyeseong Kim, IF/OF, Dodgers (three first-place votes)
Since Kim’s debut on May 3, the Dodgers have used him strategically. The 26-year-old former KBO star has played in 30 games, but in only 12 of them has he both started and finished. Manager Dave Roberts has deployed him mainly at second base and in center field, plus a little bit at shortstop, and all but four of his 73 plate appearances have come against right-handed pitching. Kim's unique usage has paid off – only Wilson’s .396 batting average since May 3 is better than Kim’s .382 among Major League rookies with at least 70 plate appearances. Kim is also providing value on the bases – he has six steals without being caught.
3. Agustín Ramírez, C, Marlins (two first-place votes)
Ramírez is experiencing the highs and lows of being a rookie. He started June by going 5-for-39 in his first nine games, but in the following three he was 6-for-15 with two home runs. His 10 homers lead all rookies, and his 44 hits are second-best among NL newcomers, trailing only teammate Eric Wagaman. Ramírez and another teammate, Liam Hicks, join Baldwin as the only NL rookie catchers with at least 100 at-bats.
4. Chad Patrick, RHP, Brewers
The Brewers have sorted through rotation options all season, with 13 pitchers making at least one start. Patrick has been a steadying force, joining Freddy Peralta as the only Brewers to make more than nine starts. Patrick isn’t just a workhorse, either – he didn't allow more than three earned runs in a start before surrendering five against the Braves on June 11. Patrick, the NL's only rookie pitcher who is qualified for the ERA title, leads the class in strikeouts and innings pitched.
5. Matt Shaw, Cubs (one first-place vote)
Since returning to the Cubs on May 19 following a five-week demotion to Triple-A, Shaw has batted .299 with eight extra-base hits. His return started particularly hot, with seven multi-hit efforts in his first 16 games back on the North Side. When he’s not hitting, Shaw can still affect the game – he has 90th percentile sprint speed and his seven stolen bases rank tied for fourth among NL rookies.
Others receiving votes: Ben Casparius (Dodgers; one first-place vote), Jacob Misiorowski (Brewers, one first-place vote), Liam Hicks (Marlins; two first-place votes), Cade Horton (Cubs), Dylan Crews (Nationals), Logan Henderson (Brewers), Mick Abel (Phillies), Bubba Chandler (Pirates), Eric Wagaman (Marlins), Jack Dreyer (Dodgers), Luisangel Acuña (Mets), Isaac Collins (Brewers)