MLB Hands Out Rookie of The Year Award For 2025 Season
In a decision that surprised absolutely no one in MLB, Athletics First Baseman Nick Kurtz was unanimously crowned the American League Rookie of the Year. Meanwhile, in the National League, Atlanta Braves Catcher Drake Baldwin snagged the award, proving that even in a league of giants, a standout rookie can still make some serious noise in MLB.
A Dominant AL Performance
Kurtz didn’t just knock on the door; he kicked it clean off its hinges. The 22-year-old phenom put up video game numbers, hitting .290 with 36 homers and 86 RBI. His 1.002 OPS was the third-best in all of baseball, trailing only the titans Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani. And he did all this after getting called up in late April. Talk about making an entrance.
His signature moment? A casual four-homer game against the Astros on July 25, a feat so rare it’s only happened 20 times in MLB history. He apparently enjoyed hitting off Houston so much that he came back for a two-homer encore later in the season. You almost have to feel bad for the Astros’ pitching staff. Almost.
“It’s a great ending to the first year,” Kurtz said to MLB Network. “I’m going to use this, and keep on grinding, and come out better next year.” If “better” means hitting five home runs in a game, the rest of the league should probably just start praying now.
Kurtz became the 14th player to win the AL award unanimously, putting him in some legendary company. His own teammate, Jacob Wilson, came in a distant second, which is a pretty good problem for the A’s to have. It marks the first time since 1984 that teammates have finished 1-2 in AL voting.
“It shows the kind of teammates that we are, and how we strive to make each other better,” Kurtz said. It’s a nice thought, but I’m guessing Wilson was striving just a little harder to catch up to those 36 moonshots.
Baldwin Edges Out the Competition In the NL
Over in the National League, the race was a bit more of a nail-biter. Drake Baldwin of the Braves ultimately won, beating out Cubs Pitcher Cade Horton. Baldwin hit a solid .274 with 19 homers and 80 RBI across 124 games, providing a steady presence behind the plate for the powerhouse Braves.
Horton made a compelling case with a ridiculous 1.03 ERA in the second half of the season, but it wasn’t enough to dethrone Baldwin, who was on the roster for the entire year.
“I had no idea. You see some of the polls and stuff, and it was looking more like Horton,” Baldwin said. For their efforts, Baldwin’s win nets the Braves a bonus draft pick, while Kurtz gets a full year of service time, pushing him toward that big free-agency payday a year sooner. A win-win, unless you’re the one who has to write that check.
