As teams prepare to hit the stretch run of the 2025 season, the MVP races in each league are also galloping toward a conclusion.
Though one league's winner seems all but certain, our latest MVP poll shows a new favorite in the other -- a late twist akin to a hot team that rides a winning streak to the top of the standings, adding new drama as we approach the season's final month.
In the new poll, 37 MLB.com experts cast votes for how they think the MVP races will shake out at season's end. As always, votes were based not just on performances to date, but also on how things are expected to go the rest of the way.
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 Sunday.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
1. Cal Raleigh, Mariners (22 first-place votes)
As Raleigh's homer total has continued to rise -- he's on pace for 60 -- his standing in this poll has also surged upward. After sitting a distant second behind Aaron Judge in the past few voting cycles, Raleigh has rocketed into the top spot with room to spare. His two homers on Sunday gave him the most long balls in a single season by a primary catcher (49) and grew his MLB lead. He also leads the AL with 106 RBIs and has a 167 OPS+ for the season.
2. Aaron Judge, Yankees (15 first-place votes)
After a torrid first half, Judge has cooled since the All-Star break (.193 average; .744 OPS) and also missed time with a right flexor strain. Those two factors have caused his season numbers to take a bit of a hit, but it's not like he's lost his status as a superstar. He still leads the Majors in batting average (.324), on-base percentage (.439), slugging (.669) and OPS (1.108), and is second to Raleigh in the AL with 40 homers.
3. Bobby Witt Jr., Royals
Witt isn't having the type of scorching-hot season he had in 2024, when he won a batting title and finished second to Judge in MVP voting, but he's still one of the best players in the game. He leads baseball with 40 doubles and is hitting .346 with a .999 OPS in August. He has at least one hit in 19 of 21 games this month and entered Monday on a 13-game hitting streak, during which he's batted .420 with a 1.083 OPS.
4. José Ramírez, Guardians
Ramírez always seems to be right in the MVP conversation. With five top-five finishes already in his career, he figures to be in that space again this season. The switch-hitter is on pace for a second-straight 30-30 season (it would be his third overall) and he's in the top-10 in the AL in hits (137), average (.288), homers (26), on-base percentage (.362) and slugging (.512). He's a model of consistency.
5. Tarik Skubal, Tigers
Skubal continues to make a very strong case for his second-straight AL Cy Young Award, but his dominance is plenty good enough to put him in the MVP conversation, too. His 0.87 WHIP is best in the bigs, as is his 2.21 FIP. He also leads all AL pitchers with a 6.0 bWAR and leads all qualified Junior Circuit arms with a 2.32 ERA. Not to mention that he's already notched his second-straight season of 200 or more strikeouts.
Others receiving votes: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Nick Kurtz, George Springer, Riley Greene, Junior Caminero, Garrett Crochet, Julio Rodríguez, Bo Bichette
NATIONAL LEAGUE
1. Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers (34 first-place votes)
Ohtani's offensive numbers are certainly MVP-worthy, but as long as he also takes the mound as a consistently nasty and effective pitcher, it's going to be very hard for anyone to supplant him as the leading MVP candidate. His 45 homers are tied for the lead in the NL, and he leads outright in slugging (.619) and OPS (1.008). He also leads the Majors in runs scored (122) and total bases (307). On the mound, he's pitched to a so-so 4.61 ERA but has struck out 35 batters in 27 1/3 innings -- good for an 11.5 K/9 ratio. The two-way nature of his game continues to be the definition of valuable.
2. Kyle Schwarber, Phillies (two first-place votes)
If Ohtani were still in the AL, Schwarber would be the runaway MVP favorite in the NL. His 45 dingers are tied with Ohtani for the league lead, and he leads all of baseball with 109 RBIs. His 15 homers since the All-Star break are most in the NL and his .573 slugging percentage for the season would be a career high. Schwarber also leads all qualified MLB hitters with a 61.2 percent hard-hit rate.
3. Pete Crow-Armstrong, Cubs (one first-place vote)
PCA is another guy who might be a leading MVP candidate in any other year if not for the presence of Ohtani. He leads all NL players with a 6.4 bWAR and is on the doorstep of his first 30-30 season. He also continues to be an extra-base-hit machine. His 65 extra-base hits are sixth-most in the Majors, with his 33 doubles just one off the NL lead entering play Monday.
4. Trea Turner, Phillies
This is Turner's first appearance in the top five of this poll. But he's earned the promotion. He leads the NL in hits (160) and brought a strong slash line into play Monday: .300/.354/.449. Hits aside, none of his other stats, though good, jumps out as extraordinary (118 OPS+, 32 stolen bases, etc.). But his overall skill set makes for a potent combination on the field -- hence his 4.5 bWAR -- and he's a big reason why the Phillies hold a commanding lead atop the NL East.
5. Paul Skenes, Pirates
Like Skubal in the AL, Skenes is the Cy Young favorite in his league and dominates in an MVP-like way (historic, even). His 2.07 ERA leads all qualified MLB pitchers, while his 2.39 FIP is best in the NL and his 0.94 WHIP is tied for the best. He averages 10.1 strikeouts per nine innings and has fanned 181 batters in 161 innings. Hitters have a paltry .195 average against him, the second-lowest mark in the NL among qualified pitchers and the third-lowest in MLB.
Others receiving votes: Fernando Tatis Jr., Juan Soto, Manny Machado, Corbin Carroll, Pete Alonso, Will Smith, Francisco Lindor, Ketel Marte, Elly De La Cruz, Christian Yelich, Geraldo Perdomo, Freddy Peralta, Kyle Stowers, Cristopher Sánchez