Cal Raleigh is player of the year, according to his peers

Who will win the American League MVP?

I have a feeling that Aaron Judge will win it. After all, he's the toughest hitter in Major League Baseball. And if he wins, it certainly won't be stolen.

But I've been saying it for weeks: because he's a catcher who hit at a historic pace, Cal Raleigh is who I'd vote for, if I had a ballot in my hands.

And obviously, the players feel the same way. Cal Raleigh earned the honor in front of his peers when asked to vote for the regular-season Player of the Year via their Players' Association.

Congratulations to the 2025 Players Choice Awards Winners!

Since 1992, Major Leaguers have recognized the on and off-field achievements of their peers through the Players Choice Awards program. these awards are voted on uniquely by the active MLB Player membership…. pic.twitter.com/50jbe1gOin

– MLBPA (@MLBPA) October 29, 2025

I know it doesn't carry the same weight as the MVP. But players know what they're talking about, in the end.

Note that he also won, logically, the title of Most Outstanding Player in the American. And in the National, the players chose to vote for Kyle Schwarber.

So Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge (who are likely to win the MVP) were snubbed in favor of Schwarber and Raleigh. Interesting, though.

To me, it's more a compliment to the two players who won than anything else. After all, Judge and Ohtani have an excellent reputation throughout the circuit.

Otherwise, among the notable honors voted by the players, Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal are Pitcher of the Year. Drake Baldwin and Nick Kurtz are Rookie of the Year. Ronald Acuna Jr. and Jacob deGrom are the comebackers of the year.

These are more unanimous choices.

This content was created with the help of AI.