That Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani keep winning MVP Awards — 2 straight for Judge and 3 in a row for Ohtani, and seven of the 10 handed out since 2021 — is pretty amazing. It’s a reminder that we are watching two of the greatest players in baseball history right now. We’re all incredibly fortunate.
But it can be a bit of a bummer that so many other great players keep getting shut out. These are players who have put up MVP-caliber seasons that have the misfortune of being just shy of the level of Judge and Ohtani. So many players probably should have won an MVP by now, but they can’t break through because of what Judge and Ohtani continue to do.
Eventually — one would think? — someone will end their stranglehold. Who will that player (or players) be? Here are five candidates from each league to topple Judge and/or Ohtani from their thrones in 2026. (Players are listed in alphabetical order.)
Nick Kurtz, 1B, Athletics
You might think this is too early and too soon, but did you see what this guy did in 2025? In only 117 games, Kurtz had 36 homers and put up slash numbers that rivaled Judge’s in every way. At the age of 22, Judge played the whole season at Single-A and High-A; Kurtz put up a 1.002 OPS in the big leagues and, oh yeah, had a game in which he racked up six hits and four homers. Why can’t this kid get better? And it already only takes him getting a little bit better to get to where Judge is right now.
Why can’t he do it again? We might not have the thrill of discovery that Raleigh gave us this season — who knew a switch-hitter could crush 60 homers? Who knew a catcher could do it? — but it’s not like he tailed off as the season went along. Raleigh remains one of the best hitters in baseball, while also playing the most demanding defensive position, and doing it well. Maybe he’ll have a little bit better batted-ball luck and get his batting average up enough that 60 homers feels even more impressive. Raleigh gave Judge as close a race as he’s had for any of his MVP-winning seasons. And he might just keep getting better.
José Ramírez, 3B, Guardians
One of these years, right? J-Ram finished third in MVP voting this year, the eighth time he has finished in the top 10 in MVP voting. The closest he ever came was second place behind José Abreu in 2020, a year when, in retrospect, Ramírez probably should have won. At 33, you might think Ramírez is running out of time, but he is still younger than Judge. It might help if the Guardians improved the lineup around him; whether or not you care about RBIs, 85 is a pretty low number for an MVP candidate.
Julio Rodríguez, CF, Mariners
He has been around long enough now that you forget how young he is, but he is only two years older than Kurtz. Rodríguez still hasn’t quite matched the numbers he put up during his rookie season, but 2025 was a step forward from a disappointing ‘24. He went on another of his second-half runs, further establishing himself as one of the streakiest players in baseball. One of these years, his streak will last all season.
Bobby Witt Jr., SS, Royals
Here’s a guy who absolutely would have won an MVP Award if it weren’t for Judge. Witt’s 2024 season was a classic MVP season that just didn’t quite measure up to the Yankees slugger. Witt wasn’t quite as good in 2025, but he was still a Gold Glove Award-winning shortstop who put up his fourth consecutive 20-20 season. He’s another guy who could use some more lineup support, but hitting for more home run power wouldn’t hurt, either. Witt led the Majors with 47 doubles this season, and as he gets older, some of those will convert into homers. It’s only a matter of time until Witt wins an MVP Award, and probably more than one.
Corbin Carroll, RF, Diamondbacks
Carroll was a revelation in his Rookie of the Year season two years ago, but while he was still good as a sophomore, he didn’t quite match those initial numbers in 2024. He rebounded in ’25, leading the NL in triples again with 17 while adding even more power, launching a career-high 31 homers. He still steals bases with impunity, and all he really needs now is just a little more plate discipline: His strikeouts went up last season, and his walks went down. But he’s just about six months older than Rodríguez, having turned 25 in August. Carroll, too, is just getting started.
Elly De La Cruz, SS, Reds
You know it’s coming. All you have to do is look at De La Cruz, his incredible physical gifts and the talent wafting off him, and see an MVP Award — maybe multiple — in his future. He just needs to get everything aligned. He still strikes out way too often, he doesn’t walk enough, and even his power and steals were down a little bit in 2025. He also led the NL in errors for the second season in a row, so there’s plenty to work on. But among players on this list, only Kurtz is younger than De La Cruz, who won’t turn 24 until January. He’s going to put it together someday, and soon. When he does? Look out.
It has been 11 years since a pitcher — Clayton Kershaw in 2014 — won an MVP Award, and it seems even more difficult to pull it off nowadays. If there’s one pitcher in baseball capable of putting together a Bob-Gibson-in-1968 season, it has to be Skenes, right? Remember: After 55 career starts, Skenes’ ERA is under 2.00. That’s incredible, and he seems to get stronger as the season goes along. He might soon have a season that simply cannot be denied.
Yep, he still hasn’t won one! He’s eight seasons into a potential Hall of Fame career, with a lifetime WAR that has already surpassed Jose Canseco, Don Mattingly and Darryl Strawberry, and he has finished in the top 10 in voting six times, but Soto has yet to get over the top. It doesn’t make a difference what league he’s in; Judge got him in the AL last season, and Ohtani got him in the NL this time. Can you imagine if Soto somehow doesn’t win an MVP? How will we possibly explain that in 20 years? Here’s guessing we won’t have to.
Fernando Tatis Jr., RF, Padres
All those troubles seem to be in the rearview mirror. Tatis still hasn’t quite matched his pre-suspension numbers, but he’s getting closer, and he’s now the unquestioned leader of a team that comes this close to breaking through but never quite gets there. That he has moved positions with no problem — he won the NL Platinum Glove Award in 2025 — has helped him immeasurably: Tatis is now seen as a gamer, exactly the kind of guy who helps you win. He has been on the cusp of a 30-30 season most of his career, but he’s never quite gotten there. Maybe he’ll skip it entirely and just go straight to 40-40.
