Giants Among Men: Why Ohtani and Judge’s 2025 MVP Wins Feel Like a Turning Point for Baseball
There are good seasons, there are great seasons, and then there are seasons that fundamentally change how we understand the sport of baseball. The 2025 MLB season was the latter.
When the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) finally revealed the MVP winners this week, nobody was truly surprised by the names on the envelopes. We knew who they were. But seeing Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge lift those trophies again felt like a coronation of two distinct eras colliding at once.
These aren’t just players having a “hot year.” These are legends carving their faces into Mount Rushmore in real-time.
The National League: The Myth of Shohei Ohtani Continues
Let’s start with the National League, where the voting process was less of a “debate” and more of a formality. For the fourth time in his career, Shohei Ohtani is the Most Valuable Player, and for the third time, he won it unanimously.
Think about that for a second. In a sport defined by failure—where getting a hit 30% of the time makes you a Hall of Famer—Ohtani has become undeniable. Every single voter looked at the National League and agreed: There is Shohei, and then there is everyone else.
What Ohtani did this season shouldn’t be physically possible. We have become so used to his greatness that we sometimes forget to be shocked by it.
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The Bat: He crushed 55 home runs. In any other era, that alone would be the headline. He was a terror at the plate, leading the league with 146 runs scored and adding 20 stolen bases just to show off his wheels.
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The Arm: But here is the kicker. After recovering from injury, he didn’t just return to the mound; he dominated. He pitched 47 innings with a 2.87 ERA.
He isn’t just a “dual-threat.” He is an ace pitcher and a cleanup hitter wrapped in one uniform. He is redefining what a baseball player can be, proving that the old rules about specialization are meant to be broken.
The American League: A Clash of Titans
If the NL race was a blowout, the American League was a heavyweight boxing match that went the full 12 rounds.
Aaron Judge took home his third MVP trophy, but he had to sweat for this one. This was one of the closest races we have seen in years, and frankly, there was no wrong answer.
On one side, you had Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners. The man did the unthinkable: he hit 60 home runs as a catcher. Do you know how hard it is to crouch behind the plate for nine innings, getting battered by foul balls, managing a pitching staff, and then stand up and hit 60 homers? It’s a new record for the position, and it’s a stat line that belongs in a video game.
On the other side, you had The Captain. Aaron Judge didn’t break the home run record this year, but he mastered the art of hitting. He finished with a dazzling .331 batting average to go along with 53 home runs.
The voters ultimately sided with Judge (17 first-place votes to Raleigh’s 13), likely valuing his consistency and his leadership under the bright lights of New York. Judge proved that he isn’t just a power hitter; he is a complete hitter. His ability to get on base, to field his position, and to carry the weight of the Yankees franchise on his back gave him the slight edge.
A Golden Age for the Game
When we look back at 2025 twenty years from now, we won’t just remember the stats. We will remember the feeling of watching greatness.
These awards signal that baseball is in a new Golden Age. We are seeing versatility like never before, with Ohtani proving that you don’t have to stay in your lane. We are seeing power return to the forefront, with Judge and Raleigh turning every at-bat into must-watch TV.
Both Ohtani and Judge serve as incredible role models. They are reminders to the kid playing Little League right now that you don’t have to settle. You can be big, you can be strong, and you can do it all.
So, tip your cap to the MVPs. We are lucky to be watching them.
Photo credits: Nataliya Vaitkevich, Nataliya Vaitkevich (via pixabay.com)