Aaron Judge snubbed as MLB analyst picks 'clear-cut' 2025 AL MVP frontrunner, names Corey Seager as dark horse

There is no denying the impact that Aaron Judge can have in every single at-bat. The New York Yankees captain has been the most prolific home run hitter in baseball since he became a full-time player in 2017. As a result of his incredible ability to not only rack up home runs but hits as well, Judge has been named the American League MVP Award winner in two of the last three seasons.

Following Shohei Ohtani's move to the National League with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Aaron Judge has dominated the AL, especially when it comes to MVP voting, but some analysts suggest that could soon change.

Although Judge is still considered one of the favorites to win the award yet again this season, MLB analysts Trevor Plouffe and Chris Rose pivoted in a different direction, picking Bobby Witt Jr. as their AL MVP for the 2025 season. In the latest episode of "Baseball Today," the pair made their case for Bobby Witt Jr. over Aaron Judge this season.

"I just feel like he's so good and so talented in so many areas. Defense, he's gotten better. Baserunning, he's a wizard out there and he can help a team that's not a great offense manufacture runs. Oh, he can also drive himself in. There's just so that he does [10:20]," Rose explained.

Bobby Witt Jr. was sensational in 2024, earning himself a top 3 finish in AL MVP Award voting. The Kansas City Royals superstar posted an incredible .332 batting average with 32 home runs, 31 stolen bases and an MLB-leading 211 hits.

While Rose and Plouffe both picked Bobby Witt Jr., they both acknowledged that Aaron Judge will be his toughest competition for the award. The New York Yankees slugger is a stats machine and will certainly be in the running for his third AL MVP Award.

"His last two full seasons, he's had a 10.8 WAR in each of them. He had 60+ homers one year and 50+ homers the other year. I get that. I think it's down between those two going in. I don't see anybody else that is making such as strong push... [10:42]," Chris Rose continued.

It is worth noting that while the pair feel that it is going to be a battle between Bobby Witt Jr. and Aaron Judge, Plouffe believes that Texas Rangers superstar Corey Seager could be a dark-horse pick.

"He's still doing everything really, really well. He's blood-red, 90th percentile in nearly every single category. He is getting up there in age, so maybe he will start slowing down.. He's got to play but I think that people forget how good this can be [13:45]," Trevor Plouffe explained.

Bobby Witt Jr. is now the betting favorite over reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge

It's not only Chris Rose and Trevor Plouffe who believe that Bobby Witt Jr. will win the AL MVP Award in 2025, but also the popular sports betting website Fanduel. After Judge was the early betting favorite throughout the offseason, the Kansas City Royals star has surpassed him as the favorite, if only so slightly.

Right now on FanDuel, Bobby Witt Jr. is the current favorite, sitting at +280 to win the AL MVP, while Judge is hot on heels with +300 odds. The gambling website feels the same as Rose and Plouffe that it is a two-horse race at this point, with Gunnar Henderson sitting with the third-best odds at a whopping +850.