BBWAA VP Leaks MLB Award Winners Ahead of Ceremony

Just hours before the MLB Most Valuable Player awards were set to be announced, BBWAA vice president Bob Nightengale made it clear who the expected winners are. This has raised concerns about the potential conflict of interest between Nightengale's role as an MLB Insider and his duties with the BBWAA.

Despite the typical drama surrounding these award ceremonies, the results are often known beforehand. However, Nightengale's early reveal has sparked criticism, as the BBWAA is supposed to maintain an unbiased process.

Shohei Ohtani is widely expected to win his second MVP award with the Dodgers, his fourth overall. Ohtani had an impressive 7.7 bWAR this season and is poised to be even better in 2026 if he can pitch a full season. His main competition was Kyle Schwarber and Juan Soto, but their numbers fell short of Ohtani's dominant performance.

In the American League, New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge is the favorite to win his second consecutive MVP award. While Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh hit an impressive 60 home runs, Judge's overall production was simply better, beating Raleigh in fWAR. This is likely to leave Mariners fans feeling the "fix was in," but Nightengale's early reveal suggests he was confident in the deserved winners.