MLB's rookie class has produced an impressive display of skills and statistics during the first two months of the 2025 season.
The talent has been evident all over the field as these young players begin to make names for themselves as big league difference-makers. Just look at the results of MLB.com's first Rookie of the Year poll for evidence.
A panel of 34 MLB.com experts cast their ballots to predict who will take home the Rookie of the Year hardware in each league at the end of the season, taking into account their stats so far and also how things are expected to unfold between now and October. While the AL race is fairly one-sided at this point, the race in the NL is far more open.
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 are through Sunday.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
1. Jacob Wilson, Athletics (31 first-place votes)
Wilson has been one of the brightest bright spots for an A's team that has outperformed expectations for much of the season. He led all qualified AL rookies with an .847 OPS through Sunday and ranked second with a .337 batting average. He was also tops among AL rookies in hits (60), runs (25), doubles (10) and RBIs (26), and was tied for the lead in homers (five).
2. Kristian Campbell, Red Sox (three first-place votes)
Campbell started 2025 with results that matched the preseason hype for what he could mean for the Boston lineup. He hit .313 with a .935 OPS over his first 28 games, which included 11 multi-hit games. His five homers through Sunday were tied for the AL lead among qualified rookies, while his 15 RBIs ranked fourth and his .763 OPS ranked third.
3. Jasson Domínguez, Yankees (no first-place votes)
After brief stints with the Yankees in 2023 and 2024, The Martian has earned everyday player status and has become a key part of the Yankees' lineup. The switch-hitter's five homers entering Monday were tied with Wilson and Campbell for the AL rookie lead, while his 21 RBIs were tied for second-most among AL rookie class.
4. Shane Smith, White Sox (no first-place votes)
Smith has been quite impressive on the mound for the White Sox. The righty's 2.05 ERA through nine starts ranks second in the AL among qualified rookies, as do his 43 strikeouts. Opponents have hit a meager .217 against him, the third-best mark among AL rookies. He's also held teams to three or fewer earned runs in all nine starts.
5. Tomoyuki Sugano, Orioles (no first-place votes)
Not much has gone right for the Orioles in 2025, but Sugano's performance has definitely been a highlight. The righty has pitched to a 3.08 ERA in nine starts (the third-best mark among AL rookies) and has held opponents to two runs of fewer six times. His 1.03 WHIP is tops among the AL rookie class.
Others receiving votes: Jackson Jobe, Chandler Simpson, Trey Sweeney, Roman Anthony, Carlos Narváez, Justin Sterner, Jake Mangum, Nick Kurtz, Will Warren, Chase Meidroth, Cam Smith, Jack Leiter, Jac Caglianone
NATIONAL LEAGUE
1. AJ Smith-Shawver, Braves (10 first-place votes)
Smith-Shawver is among the more experienced MLB rookies, having pitched nearly 30 big league innings before this season, including appearances in two different postseasons (2023, 2024). But this is the first season in which the hard-throwing righty has had consistent success. His 2.33 ERA in seven starts leads all qualified NL rookies, as do his 40 strikeouts, and opponents are hitting just .218 against him.
2. Drake Baldwin, Braves (14 first-place votes)
Baldwin has been so good this season that he's forced his way into more playing time for a Braves team that already has an All-Star worthy catcher in Sean Murphy. But it's hard to keep Baldwin's lefty bat out of the lineup. Entering Monday, he led all qualified NL rookies with a .357 average, a .400 on-base percentage and a .983 OPS. Meanwhile, his five homers were tied for second-most among the NL rookie class.
3. Agustín Ramírez, Marlins (four first-place votes)
Ramírez is another rookie who can flat-out rake. His .914 OPS through Sunday ranked second behind Baldwin, while his 10 doubles were tied for the NL rookie lead (despite playing in just 22 games). Like Baldwin, he's tied for second among NL rookies with five homers. Ramírez had seven multi-hit games through Sunday and had hit safely in nine of his past 11.
4. Luisangel Acuña, Mets (one first-place vote)
There's already one NL Rookie of the Year in the Acuña family, and another could be on the way. Luisangel is a different type of player than his MVP brother, Ronald Acuña Jr. (2018's NL ROY), but the NL Rookie of the Month for March/April has been making noise nonetheless. His 29 hits through Sunday ranked fourth among NL rookies, while his 10 stolen bases ranked second.
5. Dylan Crews, Nationals (two first-place votes)
Crews was the overwhelming preseason favorite in this category among MLB executives after he had a solid Minor League season in 2024 and showed flashes of brilliance during his 31-game MLB call-up. This season has started slowly for him (.191 average and .588 OPS through Sunday), though he does lead all qualified NL rookies in homers (six) and stolen bases (11).
Others receiving votes: Roki Sasaki (one first-place vote), Jordan Lawlar, Hyeseong Kim, Bubba Chandler (one first-place vote), Chad Patrick, Ben Casparius, Liam Hicks, Jack Dreyer, Rhett Lowder (one first-place vote), Dalton Rushing, Tim Tawa, Andrew Painter, Griffin Conine, Chase Shugart