It has never been more difficult to face Major League pitching, and the adjustments hitters must make coming from the Minor Leagues is also a great challenge. But that wouldn’t be evident by looking at what the A’s first baseman, Nick Kurtzand the Braves catcher, Drake Baldwinthey achieved in 2025.
On Monday, Kurtz was unanimously voted American League Rookie of the Year, and Baldwin took the honor in the National League with 21 of a possible 30 first-place votes, with the results of the BBWAA voting being revealed on MLB Network.
In the Young Circuit, shortstop Jacob Wilson finished second, making the A’s the ninth team to have players finish 1 and 2 in Rookie of the Year decisions and the first team to do so with a pair of position players since the 1989 Cubs (Jerome Walton, Dwight Smith). Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony was third.
In the Old Circuit, Cubs right-hander Cade Horton was second, followed by Brewers infielder Caleb Durbin.
Kurtz and Baldwin extended the great tradition of Rookies of the Year in their respective franchises. While the Dodgers by far have the most recognitions (18), Baldwin moved Atlanta within a tie for second place with the Yankees (10). For his part, Kurtz lifted the A’s to fourth place with his ninth, surpassing the Orioles/Carmelites and Reds, with eight each.
Here’s a detailed look at the 2025 Rookie of the Year winners:
American League Rookie of the Year: Nick Kurtz, A’s
Simply put, Kurtz put together one of the best debut seasons for a hitter in Major League history and was rewarded with a unanimous selection.
The strong first baseman made his Major League debut on April 23, and in 117 games, he slashed .290/.383/.619 with 36 homers. He led MLB rookies in home runs, RBIs (86), runs scored (90), OPS (1.002), OPS+ (173), and both fWAR (4.6) and bWAR (5.4).
Kurtz also became the third rookie in the Modern Era (since 1900) with an OPS+ of 170 or better (minimum of 450 at-bats), joining Cuban José Abreu (173 in 2014) and Aaron Judge (171 in 2017).
“It’s a great end to the first year,” Kurtz stated. “I’ll just use this to keep working hard and do better next year.”
Kurtz, 22, not only had an impressive rookie season, but also made history with a day to remember in Houston on July 25, when he became the first rookie and player in A’s history to hit four home runs in a single game. It was part of a game in which he went 6 for 6 with eight RBIs at Daikin Park, which made him the first player with six hits, four home runs and eight RBIs in the same game. With 19 bases reached in that game, Kurtz tied Shawn Green (2002) for the most bases reached in a single game in MLB history.
“You almost arrive like any other day,” Kurtz explained, remembering how that historic day unfolded. “At that moment, you obviously feel like you’re seeing the ball well and everything went well.”
“I didn’t even dare dream of a night like that, and things just came together the way they should.”
National League Rookie of the Year: Drake Baldwin, Braves
When he reported to Spring Training in February, some suggested that Baldwin — a third-round pick by Atlanta in the 2022 draft — would need to gain more experience in Triple-A before he would be ready for the majors. Nine months later, Baldwin is the Old Circuit Rookie of the Year.
With starting catcher Sean Murphy beginning the 2025 season on the disabled list due to a broken rib, Baldwin — rated by MLB Pipeline at the time as the organization’s No. 1 prospect (No. 62 overall) — was sent to the main stage as the club’s Opening Day catcher. And he took advantage of that opportunity. Although he got off to a slow start at the plate, Baldwin, who turned 24 on the second day of the regular season, began hitting in May, a month in which he hit .389/.411/.593.
As he continued to make adjustments throughout the year, Baldwin developed consistency at the plate, posting an OPS of at least .800 in each of the final three months of the season. Overall, he finished with a .274/.341/.469 slash line with 19 home runs, also leading NL rookies with a 3.1 fWAR.
As a result, Baldwin is the 10th player in Braves history to win the honor, joining Michael Harris II (2022), Ronald Acuña Jr. (2018), Craig Kimbrel (2011), Rafael Furcal (2000), David Justice (1990), Bob Horner (1978), Earl Williams (1971), Sam Jethroe (1950, when the team was in Boston) and Al Dark (1948, also in Boston when a Rookie of the Year was recognized in the entire Major Leagues). Williams was the other Braves catcher to win it.
Baldwin had several bright moments in his debut season in the Major League, including a six-RBI day against the Giants on July 21. But arguably Baldwin’s most notable game came on August 7, when he went 3-for-5 with two home runs and a tying single late in the game that resulted in a Braves comeback against the Marlins at Truist Park. Then, then-Brian Snitker compared Baldwin to another star Braves catcher.
“When (Brian McCann) came up it was the same way,” Snitker said. “He was advanced behind the plate and on offense, and Drake is at that same level.”
Not bad for a guy who few anticipated would be on the Opening Day roster.
“I didn’t think at all that I would be in the Major Leagues (in 2025),” Baldwin acknowledged in August. “I thought an opportunity might arise around this time or in September when the rosters expanded. But it’s wonderful.”
Here are the other BBWAA Awards that will be announced this week on MLB Network (7 pm ET each day):
