The 101st New York Baseball Writers’ Gala honored the 2025 Baseball Writers’ Association of America award winners on January 25, 2026, with MVPs Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge as headliners. The event celebrated standout performances across MLB, including Cy Young winners, rookies, and managers. Attendees heard inspiring speeches highlighting achievement and resilience.
The gala, held in New York City, recognized excellence from the 2025 MLB season. Shohei Ohtani, of the Los Angeles Dodgers, accepted his fourth unanimous NL MVP award, crediting his 55 home runs, 1.014 OPS, and 2.87 ERA over 14 pitching starts. Speaking in English without an interpreter, Ohtani said, “To all the writers who voted for me, thank you. This MVP Award is very meaningful, and winning it again means so much to me.” He also congratulated the 1986 Mets on their 40th World Series anniversary, adding, “I now know the feeling of what it’s like to become a world champion. And it’s great.”
Aaron Judge, the New York Yankees' AL MVP, was introduced by teammate Anthony Rizzo as “the King of New York.” Judge's 2025 stats included 53 home runs, a .331 batting average, .457 on-base percentage, and .688 slugging. He praised the group of winners: “To all the award winners up here tonight, this is just an incredible group. I’ve never been around so many great players.” Judge shared his father's motivational quote: “‘If what you did yesterday still seems big today, then you haven’t done anything today.’”
Tarik Skubal repeated as AL Cy Young winner for the Detroit Tigers with a 2.21 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, and 241 strikeouts. He noted, “I’m humbled to be part of this group, and the greatness from everyone up here is part of what pushes me to be the best version of myself.” Paul Skenes, the Pirates' NL Cy Young recipient, posted a 1.97 ERA and was introduced by Dwight Gooden. Skenes advised, “No matter where you come from... keep going. Bet on your work, trust the process and never let anyone else define your ceiling.”
NL Rookie of the Year Drake Baldwin, an Atlanta Braves catcher, hit 19 home runs with an .810 OPS and honored Jackie Robinson: “To be able to win the Jackie Robinson Award as an African American is pretty special.” AL Rookie Nick Kurtz of the Oakland Athletics slugged 36 home runs in 117 games, thanking the organization for his quick call-up.
Managers Steven Vogt of the Cleveland Guardians and Pat Murphy of the Milwaukee Brewers each won their second straight awards. Vogt's team overcame an 11-game deficit to claim the AL Central, while Murphy's Brewers had MLB's best record. Other honors went to Pete Alonso, Judge again, Carlos and Ashley Rodón, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Skubal summed up the evening: “We’re at an incredible point in the history of our great sport.”
