Two of MLB’s greatest stars delivered memorable MVP seasons in 2024.
It was fairly the 12 months for Decide and Ohtani — however can they do it once more in 2025, or will new stars take the stage and win MVP honors this season? Plus, who’re some darkish horse candidates to maintain a watch out for? We requested 5 MLB.com writers to make their picks and clarify their reasoning.
American League favorites
Witt had a tremendous season final 12 months, the type that may have earned him an MVP in any 12 months apart from an equally standout efficiency from Decide. I took him first within the draft as a result of I totally anticipate him to do what he did once more. Witt is projected for one more season with not less than 30 homers and 30 stolen bases. He’s already the one shortstop in MLB historical past with a number of 30-30 seasons, and a 3rd straight would tie Barry Bonds for the longest such streak by any participant all time. Witt is a dynamic participant on the bases, on the bat and on the sphere, and he’s proven us that he has the flexibility to hold his staff. That’s an MVP.
2. Aaron Decide, OF, Yankees2024 MVP end: 1st
Decide shook off a gradual begin en path to an unbelievable offensive marketing campaign in 2024, slashing .322/.458/.701 with 58 house runs and 144 RBIs to win his second MVP. The way in which the Yankees star has been swinging the bat the previous few years (Decide owns a 1.107 OPS from 2022-24) there’s an excellent probability he can repeat as league MVP in 2025.
Decide was at or close to the highest in just about each conventional and superior hitting metric in 2024, posting the best full-season OPS (not counting 2020) by a qualifying hitter since Bonds’ 1.422 in 2004. Though Decide received’t have Juan Soto within the Yanks’ lineup this 12 months, he’s nonetheless an unbelievable hitter in his prime and has pretty much as good a shot as anybody to seize MVP honors.
Henderson is on fairly a profession path to date. He has ascended from No. 1 general prospect getting into 2023 … to AL Rookie of the Yr that 12 months … to full-on famous person final 12 months. In taking “the leap” in 2024, Henderson recorded a bWAR north of 9.0 in his age-23 season, becoming a member of an unique listing of all-time greats you already know by first identify — together with Mookie, Bryce, Cal, Reggie, Mickey, Willie, Stan and Ted.
Time will inform if Gunnar goes to achieve these heights. But when Henderson — whose Opening Day standing is up within the air as he offers with a proper intercostal pressure — can maintain one thing even near the kind of efficiency he put forth within the first half (.287/.373/.584, 28 HR, 14 SB) over a whole season, effectively, he’s going to push his path to MVP-caliber heights.
Guerrero’s large season in 2021 — an MLB-leading 48 homers and AL-leading 1.002 OPS — led to a second-place end within the AL MVP vote and appeared to portend an prolonged breakout for the Toronto slugger.
Although he’s not fairly matched that 2021 output since, he’s nonetheless managed 4 straight All-Star appearances and averaged 29 homers the previous three seasons. And final season particularly confirmed that he stays fairly a scary presence within the Toronto lineup. His .940 OPS was his highest since 2021, and his offensive prowess drove a 6.2 bWAR over the ‘24 marketing campaign.
Coming into his age-26 season and set to be a free agent within the offseason, Guerrero is firmly in his prime, setting the stage for a probably big 2025 season that might earn him the coveted MVP {hardware}.
That is the 12 months for J-Ram. As nice as Decide is, it’s tough to win back-to-back MVP Awards, particularly if you’re going for No. 3 general — solely a dozen gamers have ever accomplished that — you’re turning 33, and also you simply misplaced the safety of Soto behind you within the lineup. Witt and Henderson are fast-rising superstars, however whether or not they can replicate final 12 months’s manufacturing stays to be seen, particularly with Henderson fading within the second half. And Guerrero had an important bounce-back 12 months, however will that carry over into 2025?
Enter Ramírez, who has completed among the many prime 5 in AL MVP voting 5 occasions and fell one double and one homer shy of turning into the second participant in MLB historical past to have 40 doubles, 40 homers and 40 steals in the identical season final 12 months. He’s been one of the crucial sturdy and constantly wonderful gamers within the recreation, and he might lastly break by and win the AL MVP Award.
Nationwide League favorites
I needed to race to our Google Doc to ensure I received first decide within the NL for Juan Soto. We’re speaking about the perfect hitter within the recreation, and he simply signed a large contract with a brand new staff, which he will likely be wanting to show. However the factor about Juan Soto is that he doesn’t want any of these exterior motivations — he’s merely the perfect hitter there may be within the recreation proper now. Soto’s projected for one more on-base proportion of not less than .400, which will likely be his eighth straight to begin his profession, in addition to one other season with not less than 25 homers and 125 walks. He already has 4 seasons with that house run and stroll combo, fourth most in a profession, behind solely Bonds (10), Babe Ruth (10) and Ted Williams (eight). Soto’s seasons are at all times MVP caliber, and this would be the 12 months he lastly wins it.
2. Shohei Ohtani, SP/DH, Dodgers2024 MVP end: 1st
Similar to within the AL part of this listing, the reigning MVP seems like a steal at decide No. 2. Ohtani launched the 50-50 membership throughout a memorable first season with the Dodgers, and who isn’t excited to see what he’ll do for an encore? Whereas he’s nonetheless on the mend from Tommy John surgical procedure and an offseason process to restore a torn labrum, Ohtani will likely be within the lineup for the season-opening Tokyo Collection and again on the mound later within the season.
Seeing Ohtani again at his two-way capabilities in 2025 will likely be one thing particular — and he proved to be MVP caliber with out even taking the bump final season. If his well being holds up, there’s a fairly straightforward path to a 3rd straight and fourth profession MVP for the famous person.
Tucker, in the end, might discover himself with each a statistical case for MVP and a story one, too. He’s been among the many best, environment friendly and constant all-around gamers for 4 years now, posting a 21.2 bWAR that ranks tenth amongst hitters for the reason that begin of 2021, in addition to a 145 OPS+ and stellar plate self-discipline (11.3 BB%, 15.1 Okay%). In some way, although, he at all times appeared to be overshadowed by larger names in Houston, like Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez, Carlos Correa, and so on.
Nonetheless solely 28 and having been traded to the Cubs this offseason, Tucker is primed for a peak efficiency after coming off what was shaping as much as be a profession marketing campaign (181 OPS+) lower quick by damage (78 video games). Mix that with the motivation of a stroll 12 months, plus a possibility to propel Chicago to what could be its first playoff berth in a full season since 2018, and King Tuck might reign.
Every season has been higher than the final throughout Lindor’s 4 years with the Mets, and that development resulted in a second-place MVP end in 2024. So what higher method to proceed that momentum than with a first-place end in 2025?
Lindor completed 2024 with 33 homers, an .844 OPS and a 6.9 bWAR. However it was the second half the place he actually received right into a groove and reminded everybody of the hazard he poses on the plate. From Aug. 1 by the tip of the season, Lindor carried a .956 OPS and virtually single-handedly willed the Mets into the postseason.
Apparently, Lindor’s OPS has improved every year by a mean of 37 proportion factors throughout his time with the Mets. If that occurs this season, he’d end with an OPS north of .880. However given his second half in 2024, it is affordable to assume it might go a lot larger.
De La Cruz is already one of the crucial electrical gamers within the recreation, and he hasn’t but reached his ceiling. He turned simply the fifth participant in AL/NL historical past (since 1900) to hit not less than 20 homers (25) and steal not less than 60 bases (67) in the identical season final 12 months. And he did that regardless of placing out a whopping 31% of the time. If he may even modestly scale back that strikeout charge and proceed his arc of enchancment in his age-23 season, it’s removed from far-fetched that he might win the NL MVP Award in 2025.
Our “darkish horse” picks needed to meet two standards:
1. Paul Skenes, SP, PiratesKey stat: 1.96 ERA in 2024 (2nd-lowest by a rookie, min. 20 begins, since ER official)
We noticed how electrical Skenes was in his rookie 12 months in 2024, and that was simply the appetizer. As famous above, he had probably the greatest rookie seasons we’ve ever seen for a pitcher. It will be a lot enjoyable to see what he does in a full season this 12 months because the staff’s ace. To win MVP as a pitcher, placing Ohtani to the facet, it’s essential to completely dominate on the mound, which Skenes has proven us he has the flexibility to do. And whereas staff success shouldn’t be a particular necessity for an MVP, Skenes’ place because the chief of a pitching-heavy staff in a division that’s seemingly up within the air might actually assist his possibilities.
2. Rafael Devers, 3B, Purple SoxKey stat: 126 HR since 2021 (fifth most in AL)
Devers has been a dependable slugger for years for the Purple Sox, however 2025 could possibly be the season he takes the leap. Simply 28 years outdated, the Boston third baseman has averaged greater than 30 homers from 2021 to 2024 and owns a profession .856 OPS. He’s lengthy been a risk within the coronary heart of the Purple Sox lineup — a beginning 9 with loads of surrounding expertise this season because of the breakout of Jarren Duran and the addition of Alex Bregman. However he’s by no means completed larger than eleventh (2021) in AL MVP voting.
Devers hit .272 with 28 homers and an .871 OPS in 2024 regardless of taking part in by soreness in each shoulders, so if he can keep wholesome in 2025 (which could possibly be an enormous “if”), his offensive potential is sky excessive. If he can lower down on swings and misses and shore up his protection at third base, an MVP-caliber 12 months could possibly be on the way in which.
3. Jackson Chourio, OF, BrewersKey stat: youngest participant to put up a 20-HR, 20-SB season
If the Brewers are going to do what they’ve accomplished very often lately — that’s, make the playoffs and win the division regardless of transferring on from key gamers — then it simply would possibly occur on the again of a child who doesn’t even flip 21 till Tuesday.
With Willy Adames having signed with the Giants and Devin Williams traded to the Yankees, plus Christian Yelich working to indicate he can return to full energy after again surgical procedure late final season, Chourio is poised to step up and be part of William Contreras because the driving forces in Milwaukee. Though he regarded overmatched early as a rookie, Chourio put all the things collectively from June 1 on: .303/.358/.525 with 25 doubles, 16 house runs and 15 stolen bases in 98 video games. He’s received even larger targets for his sophomore season — might that embody an MVP push?
Accidents and underperformance the previous two seasons have prevented Harris from actually constructing on a stellar 2022 NL Rookie of the Yr marketing campaign. However there’s cause to consider {that a} totally wholesome and locked-in model of him could possibly be within the MVP dialog in 2025 — particularly given how he completed 2024.
Harris was among the many Braves’ greatest hitters — and MLB’s greatest hitters — down the stretch final season, posting a .923 OPS in September after which gathering 5 hits, together with a homer, over the 2 video games of Atlanta’s Wild Card Collection towards the Padres. In truth, solely two MLB gamers had 120 or extra plate appearances and an OPS of .900 or higher in September: Ohtani (1.225) and Harris.
Mix that bat with Harris’ center-field protection — vary in MLB’s 93rd percentile, career-high eight Outs Above Common in ’24 — and issues might get attention-grabbing.
5. Wyatt Langford, OF, RangersKey stat: .996 OPS with 8 HR in Sept. 2024
Hey, he went from the Faculty World Collection to his MLB debut in lower than a 12 months. Why not AL MVP as a sophomore within the large leagues? OK, that’s type of a stretch. However … is it, actually? Langford actually turned his rookie marketing campaign round in June, and the kind of manufacturing he demonstrated from then by the tip of the 2024 season is sufficient to make you ponder whether he might sneak into the MVP dialogue in ’25.
On June 2, Langford was hitting .222/.284/.281 with one house run in 148 plate appearances for Texas. From that time by the tip of the season, he posted an .804 OPS with 15 homers and 18 steals in 98 video games. Regardless of such a poor begin to the season, he completed with 3.9 bWAR. By no means say by no means with Langford.
