The postseason is here, and baseball's biggest stars will be out.
After a bevy of former MVPs met in last year's World Series, the AL MVP debate between Aaron Judge and Cal Raleigh is set to persist into October, even with the votes already sent in. In the NL, Shohei Ohtani will try to follow up another MVP season with a second World Series ring.
Meanwhile, some of baseball's biggest aces will be on the hill, from Tarik Skubal and Cristopher Sanchez to new AL East stars Garrett Crochet and Max Fried.
A couple of 2024's postseason heroes won't be returning for another October run, as Juan Soto and Pete Alonso stunningly missed the playoffs with the New York Mets. Soto helped the New York Yankees reach the World Series in 2024, while Alonso's go-ahead home run in the Wild Card Series propelled a Mets run to the NLCS.
Here are the top players in the 2025 MLB playoffs, from Judge and Raleigh to Ohtani and Skubal.
1. Aaron Judge, OF, Yankees
No, Judge doesn't pitch like Ohtani does, but it's tough to question his status as the most dominant player in baseball right now. Judge is the only player in the last 21 years to post an OPS+ of at least 200 in a full season, and he's done it three different times. Judge led the league in batting average this season, hitting .331 with 53 home runs and a 1.145 OPS that easily led all of baseball. Judge has posted an OPS north of 1.000 in four consecutive seasons, and he recently tied an MLB record with his fourth 50-home run season. One of the best peaks in modern baseball history is just missing a World Series ring.
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2. Shohei Ohtani, DH/SP, Dodgers
Ohtani is in line to win his fourth MVP award and second in the National League after another outstanding season. The Los Angeles Dodgers star hit a career-high 55 home runs and posted an OPS above 1.000 for the third consecutive season, even if he didn't hit for contact at the same rate he did in 2023 or 2024. Ohtani also returned to the mound and was especially effective in the season's final weeks, posting a 2.87 ERA over 10 total starts with 62 strikeouts to just nine walks. For now, Judge and Ohtani remain the gold standard.
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3. Tarik Skubal, SP, Tigers
Skubal is set to become the AL's first back-to-back Cy Young Award winner since Pedro Martinez a quarter-century ago, and he was even better across the board in 2025 than he was in 2024. Skubal saw his ERA drop to 2.21, increased his strikeout rate, and lowered both his FIP and WHIP this season, flashing remarkable control with only 33 walks in 195.1 innings. Now one of the game's premier aces alongside Paul Skenes, the Detroit Tigers will look to ride Skubal to at least the ALDS once again.
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4. Cal Raleigh, C, Mariners
Plenty can change in just a few months. When the Seattle Mariners signed Raleigh to a six-year, $105 million extension in March, the 28-year-old was viewed as a terrific defensive catcher who could also hit for power. Now, he's among the game's most feared power hitters who also catches. Raleigh became the seventh player in MLB history to hit 60 home runs in a season, posting an OPS+ nearly 50 points ahead of his previous career-high and winning the Home Run Derby along the way. Raleigh already flashed a flair for the dramatic when he sent the Mariners to the postseason with a walk-off home run in 2022, and he's looking to lead a deep run in 2025.
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5. Garrett Crochet, SP, Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox pivoted to Crochet after missing out on Max Fried in the winter, and the former White Sox starter's first season in Boston was everything Craig Breslow hoped it would be. Crochet went 18-5 with a 2.59 ERA and 255 strikeouts, leading all qualified AL starters in strikeouts per nine innings. Crochet put the durability concerns of his past to rest, leading the AL in innings with 205.1 and elevating himself into a bona fide ace.
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6. Jose Ramirez, 3B, Guardians
The Hall of Fame is becoming more realistic by the year for Ramirez, who turned in another stellar season with 30 home runs and an .863 OPS. The seven-time All-Star has hit at least 30 home runs in back-to-back seasons for the first time in his career, and he posted an OPS+ north of 125 for the sixth consecutive season. A favorite son of Cleveland whose legacy in the city is set in stone regardless, Ramirez is hoping to get the chance to bring a championship to the Guardians before all is said and done.
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7. Cristopher Sanchez, SP, Phillies
Sanchez isn't the first player fans will think of when they think about the Philadelphia Phillies, but there is no way around how good he was in 2025. The 28-year-old finished with a 6.4 fWAR, posting a 2.50 ERA with 212 strikeouts and allowing only 12 home runs over 202 innings. Zack Wheeler entered the season as Philadelphia's ace, but Sanchez pitched so well that the Phillies can say they still have one entering the postseason. While he wasn't an All-Star. expect Sanchez to finish second in NL Cy Young voting behind Skenes.
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8. Max Fried, SP, Yankees
The Yankees' addition of Max Fried turned out to be one of their most pivotal offseason moves in recent memory the moment Gerrit Cole underwent Tommy John Surgery. New York suddenly needed Fried to be an ace, and he answered the call. The former Braves left-hander went 19-5 with a 2.86 ERA, 3.07 FIP and 189 strikeouts over a full 32 starts, bouncing back with a strong September after a bumpy summer. The Yankees will need more of that late-season momentum from Fried to make a deep October run.
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9. Kyle Schwarber, DH, Phillies
(Kyle Ross)
Schwarber finished the season on a 0-for-13 stretch, but the Phillies know he is easily their most potent power bat entering the postseason. The 32-year-old played in all 162 games in 2025 and came within two home runs of the Phillies' single-season record, blasting 56 bombs and leading baseball with 132 RBI. While Schwarber has a tendency to go through extreme hot and cold stretches, he's poised for a major payday in the offseason and would like to tack on a second World Series ring first.
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10. Trea Turner, SS, Phillies
Perhaps playing in Schwarber's shadow this season, Turner turned in his best season with the Phillies to date with the help of a dominant second half. The 32-year-old led all qualified NL hitters with a .304 AVG and posted an .812 OPS despite not hitting for too much power, partly making up for his 15 home runs with 31 doubles. Where Turner surprised, though, was in the field. He turned in a much better defensive season than he did in 2024, putting concerns about his future at shortstop on the backburner. The Phillies will be looking for Turner to play at a championship level after returning from the IL on the final day of the regular season.
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11. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1B, Blue Jays
Guerrero's contract situation threatened to hang over the Toronto Blue Jays all season long, potentially even making him a July trade candidate, after the two sides failed to reach an agreement in February. Not to worry: Guerrero agreed to a 14-year, $500 million mega deal less than two weeks into the season. While he couldn't match his 2024 production, Guerrero still posted an .848 OPS and hit .307 over his final 86 games as the Blue Jays surged into the AL East lead. Guerrero enters October seeking his first career postseason home run.
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12. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, SP, Dodgers
AFP=時事
Any questions about the contract the Los Angeles Dodgers gave Yamamoto were put to rest in 2025, as the 27-year-old looked every bit like an ace with a 2.49 ERA and 201 strikeouts over 30 starts. Yamamoto led all qualified starters with only 5.9 hits allowed per nine innings, and he only surrendered 14 home runs in 173.2 innings. If the Dodgers go back-to-back, it's likely their stellar and now healthy rotation that will lead the way.
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13. Julio Rodriguez, OF, Mariners
Every Julio Rodriguez season follows the same pattern: a sluggish start, a red hot stretch after the All-Star break and, by the end of the year, an All-Star caliber body of work. Rodriguez overcame a slow start this season to tie a career-high with 32 home runs and post a .798 OPS along with strong defensive metrics. Rodriguez should earn some down-ballot MVP votes in the 6-10 range, and he is locked in as a Mariners cornerstone for years to come.
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14. Bryan Woo, SP, Mariners
Bryan Woo is one of the best-kept secrets in baseball, at least for some. Few pitchers have better control than Woo, who walked only 1.7 batters per nine innings this season and limited opposing lineups to 6.6 hits per nine. The result is a sub-1 career WHIP. Woo put together a streak of 25 consecutive starts in which he tossed six innings in 2025, remarkable for this era, and he finished the year with a 2.94 ERA across 30 starts. Pectoral tightness ended Woo's final start of the season, but the Mariners anticipate him being fully ready for the ALDS.
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15. Hunter Greene, SP, Reds
Greene's toughest opponent in the major leagues has been his own body. The former No. 2 pick has morphed into an ace over the last two seasons, but he missed a month in 2024 and was limited to 19 starts this season. When healthy, Greene has been electrifying. He posted a 2.76 ERA and 0.94 WHIP in 2025, striking out 11 batters per nine innings. Since returning from the IL in mid-August, Greene has two starts with 12 strikeouts, along with a one-hit complete game shutout of the Cubs. In a short series, Greene is a weapon for the Cincinnati Reds.
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16. Fernando Tatis Jr., OF, Padres
(Sean M. Haffey/Getty)
Tatis seemed destined to contend for the NL MVP award after a red hot start to 2025, but his bat endured more ups and downs than the Padres expected. All things considered, Tatis is still an extremely valuable player. A terrific defender in the outfield, Tatis hit .268 with 25 home runs and an .814 OPS this season. Tatis' power isn't where it was before his 2022 injury and suspension, but he remains a star in San Diego.
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17. Freddie Freeman, 1B, Dodgers
© Jayne Kamin-Oncea
Freddie Freeman just hits. It doesn't seem to matter that he's 36, or that he has even more mileage on his legs than most 36-year-olds, because he hasn't missed serious time with an injury since 2017. The numbers always end up about where you would expect them to, and 2025 was no exception with Freeman posting an .869 OPS and batting .295 with 24 home runs — all better marks than 2024, which ended with a World Series MVP award. Freeman is an MVP, World Series MVP and two-time champion. All he can do now is add to his legacy with more titles and chase 3,000 hits, which is looking increasingly realistic.
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18. Bryce Harper, 1B, Phillies
Forget the regular season numbers — Harper might be the most feared postseason hitter in baseball. With a career 1.016 OPS in the playoffs, all Harper is missing for his legacy at this point is that elusive World Series ring. Harper's power was curiously absent early this year, with an IL stint also pausing his season in June, but he hit 18 home runs in a 59-game span in the summer and will be looking to tap into that success after a good but non-elite campaign.
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19. Kyle Tucker, OF, Cubs
Like Tatis, Tucker seemed to be destined for serious NL MVP contention in the early weeks of the season, but his power completely disappeared in the second half, at least partly because he played through pain. The Chicago Cubs brought Tucker back off the IL for the final weekend of the season and are hoping he can tap into the momentum that allowed him to post a .993 OPS with the Astros in 2024. Tucker still enjoyed a productive season in Chicago, batting .266 with 22 home runs and a strong .377 OBP, but he can earn himself some money this winter with a postseason that more closely matches his first-half production.
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20. Freddy Peralta, SP, Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers didn't have the best record in baseball this season by accident. While they may not have the star power some other NL clubs do, they have an ace, and his name is Freddy Peralta. Peralta overcame some inconsistency in previous years to post a 2.70 ERA over 33 starts in 2025, reaching the 200-strikeout mark for the third consecutive season and limiting opposing lineups to 6.3 hits per nine innings. Peralta should be in line for a top-five finish in NL Cy Young voting.
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21. Riley Greene, OF, Tigers
Greene has quietly become one of the AL's most impressive power bats while playing in a stadium that isn't necessarily friendly to power. The former first-round pick just turned 25 and hit .258 with 36 home runs, 111 RBI and an .806 OPS in 2025. While strikeouts are an issue for Greene — he led the AL with 201 and didn't reach base as often as he did in 2024 — his bat is pivotal to the Tigers' chances of putting their late-season collapse behind them and going on a deep run.
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22. Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF, Cubs
If you're not sure what to make of Crow-Armstrong, it's hard to blame you. The 23-year-old was one of the best players in the sport in the first half, but his bat fell off a cliff in the second half when he hit six home runs and posted a .634 OPS. The ultimate result was still a very good season. Crow-Armstrong was a 30-30 player with excellent defense and a bat that still landed in the above-average range. The Cubs are hoping a solid final few games of the regular season are a sign of what's to come for "PCA" as he enters the postseason.
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