MLB MVP Rankings: Skubal enters AL mix, PCA soars in NL

Welcome to the third edition of theScore's 2025 Most Valuable Player rankings, where we look at the top five players in each league. Let's examine some of the best performances through the first three-plus months of the season. Odds courtesy ESPN BET and theScore Bet.

American League

5. Jeremy Peña, Astros

Peña stays in the top five despite being sidelined with a small fracture in one of his ribs. However, the injury isn't expected to keep him out long term, so his spot in the rankings is safe. He leads all qualified shortstops with an .867 OPS, while his .322 batting average is second only to All-Star starter Jacob Wilson. Peña owns the AL's fourth-highest fWAR thanks to his strong all-around game, which includes sitting in the 93rd percentile in outs above average.

4. Bobby Witt Jr., Royals

Witt is back in the mix, but he's not having the type of prolific offensive season that resulted in his 2024 AL MVP runner-up finish. Although the 25-year-old has a shot for a third straight 30-30 campaign, it's his outstanding defensive play at short that's got him poised for back-to-back Gold Gloves. Witt leads all players at his position in defensive rating, according to FanGraphs, while sitting in the 100th percentile in outs above average.

3. Tarik Skubal, Tigers

Skubal's not only pulling away in the race to win his second straight AL Cy Young, but he's also firmly entrenched in the MVP conversation as he strengthens his case for being the best pitcher on the planet. The 28-year-old ace has been absurdly good over his eight starts since the end of May, amassing a 6-0 record while allowing just seven earned runs with seven walks and 69 strikeouts across 56 1/3 innings. For the season, he owns an MLB-best 11.48 strikeout-per-walk ratio.

2. Cal Raleigh, Mariners

The All-Star catcher's monster season has him being mentioned in the same breath as Mariners legend Ken Griffey Jr. Raleigh already passed the Hall of Famer's team record of 35 home runs before the All-Star break. The backstop could make a serious run at Griffey's single-season franchise record of 56 long balls set in 1997 and 1998. Raleigh is also on pace to potentially break Aaron Judge's AL record of 62 homers from the 2022 campaign.

1. Aaron Judge, Yankees

Judge slowed down a little over the last month after his otherworldly start, which included flirting with a .400 batting average until early June. He's struck out 42 times over his last 29 games as the Yankees went on two separate six-game losing streaks. However, Judge's third AL MVP award in the last four years is still his to lose, considering he leads the majors by a wide margin in a slew of hitting stats. He's also the first player in MLB history with 34 or more homers before the All-Star break in three different years.

National League

5. Trea Turner, Phillies

Turner makes his first appearance in the rankings as the best player on a division leader with the Phillies passing the Mets for the top spot in the NL East. The 32-year-old has accrued the NL's sixth-best fWAR while leading the Senior Circuit in hits among qualified players. Turner is also on pace to steal at least 40 bags for the first time since 2018.

4. James Wood, Nationals

Wood is enjoying a massive breakout campaign at age 22 despite the Nationals' futility, which cost longtime skipper Dave Martinez and general manager Mike Rizzo their jobs. The All-Star outfielder is in the NL's top five for homers, RBIs, on-base percentage, OPS, and fWAR. His Baseball Savant page is covered in red, as he's in a very elite group for average exit velocity, barrel rate, and hard-hit percentage.

3. Kyle Tucker, Cubs

Tucker, who's slated to be the top free agent available next offseason, is poised to finally record his first 30-30 campaign after coming close in 2022 and 2023. The 28-year-old outfielder's power and speed have played a big role in helping the Cubs post MLB's best run differential. However, his case for NL MVP is hindered by Chicago's deep lineup, which also features the big bats of Michael Busch, Seiya Suzuki, and Pete Crow-Armstrong.

2. Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers

Ohtani is once again a two-way player, but he's returned to the mound as an opener until he builds up his pitch count. The Dodgers may unleash the three-time MVP's full potential at some point in the second half of the season. He's still mashing with his bat, leading the NL in round-trippers and OPS. However, his steals are understandably way down compared to his historic 2024 season and might be less of a factor moving forward as he focuses on hitting and pitching.

1. Pete Crow-Armstrong, Cubs

Crow-Armstrong deserves his flowers. The dynamic 23-year-old is starting in the All-Star Game along with his teammate Tucker. The former has been a revelation for the Cubs, leading the NL in fWAR and sitting second in the majors in steals. He's on pace to become only the seventh player in MLB history to record a 40-40 campaign. Three of the six major leaguers to accomplish the feat won MVP in their respective seasons. Crow-Armstrong is also arguably the best defensive outfielder in baseball.

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