Anthony Castrovince reports on the back-to-back MVP wins for Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani. Mike McDaniel and Tom Dierberger look at just how close Cal Raleigh got to getting the AL MVP nod this year. Some AL MVP voters explain their decisions for either Judge or Raleigh. ( The Athletic subscription required .)

Barring an ultra-rare tie, a deserving Most Valuable Player candidate in the American League was going to come away empty-handed Thursday night. Such was the reality of a year in which both Yankees captain Aaron Judge and Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh had legitimate statistical and narrative claims to the MVP.

Raleigh finished second in the AL MVP voting to Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge, who had a tremendous season himself. Judge finished with 17 first-place votes and 13 second-place votes from the BBWAA as Raleigh garnered 13 first-place votes and 17 second-place votes.

Ohtani’s MVP seasons are wildly distinct, appropriate given his vast skill set. In 2024, he won his first NL MVP with an unprecedented 54-homer, 59-stolen base campaign. A year later, he ran less – but made a triumphant return to the pitching mound.

For the second straight season, New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge has been named the American League's Most Valuable Player. Judge beat out Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh and Cleveland Guardians third baseman José Ramírez for the award, the BBWAA announced Thursday night.

Here are the early odds for the 2025-26 NBA Regular Season MVP — a snapshot of who sportsbooks currently view as the frontrunners. It’s interesting to see a mix of established stars and emerging names all in the mix.

Jose Ramirez received 19 of 30 third-place votes for AL MVP. Ramirez now has the most MVP shares of any player to not win an MVP: Most career MVP shares without winning an MVP 1. Jose Ramirez – 3.61 2. Al Simmons – 3.53 3. Bill Terry – 3.45 4. Eddie Murray – 3.33 5. Mike Piazza – 3.16

Once again, Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani has been named his league's Most Valuable Player. On Thursday night, Ohtani won National League MVP, beating out fellow finalists Kyle Schwarber ( Philadelphia Phillies) and Juan Soto ( New York Mets ).