Photo credit: Tage Olsin
IN THIS ISSUE, the 2025 Baseball Awards:
Scoring and Bases Champions (Yes, those are things; I created them)
AL and NL MVP Chase Winners
My unofficial AL and NL Cy Young ballots
NOTE: ALL STATISTICAL DATA BELOW COMES FROM STATHEAD.
SCORING AND BASES CHAMPIONS
In 2024, I devised two new baseball stats, which I called "Scoring" and "Bases Gained." I now refer to the latter as "All Bases."
Scoring is Runs plus Runs Batted In (RBI) minus Home Runs. (The number of home runs is deducted because it's included in both Runs and RBI totals; subtracting the number once avoids double-counting.)
All Bases is Total Bases (total number of bases reached through hits: home run = 4, triple = 3, double = 2, single = 1) plus Bases on Balls (walks) plus Stolen Bases (steals).
The Scoring Title is likely to go to a great hitter with a high All Bases total, but who is also on a team with other good hitters that get on base for him to drive home, and who can drive him home when he's on base.
All Bases measures a player's skill at the plate and on the bases, independent of what his teammates do. As such, the All Bases Title (or, simply, the Bases Title) could go to a great player on a team with poor-hitting teammates.
While Cal Raleigh is the Home Run Champ and is now part of the elite 60-Home Run Club, Aaron Judge edged out Shohei Ohtani to win the Scoring Title. Ohtani, however, by the thinnest of margins (one base), took the All Bases title over Judge.
Both statistics are more important than any stat based on percentages, and more significant than home runs, hits, or RBI, because they measure how productive a player was in the two stats that matter: getting to the next base and manufacturing runs.
2025 MLB Scoring Leaders
2025 MLB All Bases Leaders
MVP CHASE WINNERS
I'll say right off the, uh, bat that my MLB MVP Chase doesn't take defense into account. Not how well the player fields (if he does at all), not the importance of the position he plays. Some people quantify those things, and if I had an actual official vote for the MVP, I would take defense into account. However, the MVP Chase total would be the primary criterion for offense.
My focus for the MVP Chase in all sports is how a player's batting contributed to the team's wins. If the player had an "All Bases" score of 3 or more for the game and the team won, then the player receives credit for that game in the MVP Chase. Nobody has to be the best player in any particular game, but if a player is among the major contributors in victory after victory, then he's an MVP candidate.
An example to understand the lists: Aaron Judge finished with 56. That means, in 56 Yankee victories, his total bases + walks + steals equaled at least 3.
AL MVP CHASE FINAL STANDINGS
Aaron Judge, RF, Yankees, 56
Cal Raleigh, C, Mariners 53
George Springer, RF, Blue Jays, 48
Bobby Witt Jr., SS, Royals, 47
(5th tie)Vladimir Guerrero, 1B, Blue Jays, 45
(5th tie)Jose Ramirez, 3B, Indians, 45
Junior Caminero, 3B, Rays, 39
Byron Buxton, CF, Twins, 36
Riley Greene, OF, Tigers, 36
(10th tie) Yandy Diaz, 1B, Rays, 32
(10th tie) Shea Langeliers, C, Athletics, 32
(10th tie) Taylor Ward, LF, Angels, 32
NL MVP CHASE FINAL STANDINGS
Shohei Ohtani, P/DH, Dodgers 58
Kyle Schwarber, LF/DH, Phillies, 53
Juan Soto, OF, Mets, 48
Seiya Suzuki, RF/DH, Cubs, 42
Corbin Caroll, OF, Diamondbacks, 41
(6th tie) Pete Alonso, 1B, Mets, 39
(6th tie) Michael Busch, 1B/3B, Cubs, 39
(8th tie) Rafael Devers, 3B Giants, 38
(8th tie) Geraldo Perdomo, SS, Diamondbacks, 38
(10th tie) Freddie Freeman, 1B, Dodgers, 37
(10th tie) Christian Yelich, LF, Brewers, 37
I wouldn't dispute Cal Raleigh being named MVP when taking his role as catcher into account. However, it should be because of that, and not because he hit 60 home runs. On batting alone, Aaron Judge has the better argument for MVP.
CY YOUNG BALLOTS
I examined the Top 200 pitchers (starters and relievers) based on ERA, with a minimum of 50 innings pitched. I then sorted and ranked them three times:
By most Innings Pitched
By lowest Earned Run Average
By Iowest ABIP.
What's ABIP?
ABIP is similar to WHIP (walks + hits allowed per innings pitched), but it is more precise. ABIP is all bases allowed per innings pitched. It uses the same "All Bases" stat used for hitters above (total bases + walks + steals), but applies to pitchers.
Let's say Pitcher Al allows one hit in a game, a home run. Pitcher Bob allows one double and one triple, but no runs. Al allowed fewer bases, Bob allowed fewer runs. Both should be taken into account. Innings Pitched also matters; the more quality innings a pitcher can pitch, the more valuable he is than other pitchers. Self-evident.
The total for each player is their combined ERA, IP, and ABIP rankings among the top 200 pitchers (based on ERA, minimum 50 innings pitched). The top relievers would be high in ERA and ABIP rank, but low on Innings Pitched. Starters, however, have the advantage in innings pitched.
I have one list for both leagues, with the Cy Young winners in bold and my theoretical ballot naming the next four in each league.
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