American League Players of the Month: May 2025

We’re now two months into the 2025 MLB season, and the performances coming out of the league this year have been incredible. This has been especially true in the American League, where the sport’s top talents have been playing very well so far on both sides of the ball.

During May, we saw multiple hitters and pitchers elevate their games to the next level, playing some of the best baseball of their respective careers. It was especially good to see just how spread out this talent was as well, with all three AL divisions producing multiple top performers this month.

Here at Just Baseball, our editorial staff has selected the players we chose to name as our Players of the Month in May. As we keep updating these stories throughout the season, it’ll be interesting to see who finds themselves here later in the season.

Let’s meet our top performers for May.

All stats and rankings were updated through May 31.

American League Hitters of the Month

Gold Medal Hitter of the Month: Cal Raleigh, SEA

May Stats: 114 PA, 12 HR, 19 R, 26 RBI, .304/.430/.739, 2 SB, 228 wRC+, 2.2 fWAR

Before the season began, the title of “Best Catcher in Baseball” still seemed relatively wide open. However, we’re now two months into the season, and Cal Raleigh has claimed sole possession of this title.

Raleigh finished near the top of the AL in almost every offensive category, hitting a league-leading 12 home runs and posting a .435 isolated power. This would be incredibly impressive coming from anyone, let alone a terrific defensive catcher. It all goes to show just how much he deserves to be atop the podium.

Silver Medal Hitter of the Month: Aaron Judge, NYY

May Stats: 117 PA, 11 HR, 25 R, 18 RBI, .364/.453/.798, 1 SB, 237 wRC+, 2.2 fWAR

Our silver medal hitter for May is yet another star slugger, as Aaron Judge has continued his monstrous season. To put it simply, Judge has been arguably the best hitter in the sport this year, and this is already his second time on the monthly podium.

Similarly to Raleigh, Judge ranked near the top of the American League in many offensive categories, with the most impressive being his .798 slugging percentage. This didn’t just lead the AL, but it led the entire league by 16 points!

If Judge continues to hit like he has this season, he should land on the podium again in June.

Bronze Medal Hitter of the Month: Rafael Devers, BOS

May Stats: 126 PA, 7 HR, 14 R, 33 RBI, .356/.468/.606, 1 SB, 199 wRC+, 1.5 fWAR

Despite the conversation surrounding him off the field during May, Rafael Devers truly put his head down and played some of the best baseball of his career last month. He was the best offensive player Boston possessed in their lineup, and he put the team on his back during a time when they needed it most.

His month included a top-four finish in wRC+, homers, RBI, walk rate, batting average, on-base percentage, and wOBA. He also finished near the top of the AL in slugging percentage and fWAR, really speaking to the month he had at the dish.

His month also included a 10th-inning walk-off hit against the Baltimore Orioles on May 24. Due to his tremendous performance on the field, Devers earned our bronze medal for May.

AL Pitchers of the Month

Gold Medal Pitcher of the Month: Kris Bubic, KCR

May Stats: 3-0 (5 GS), 0.56 ERA, 32.1 IP, 33 K, 8 BB, 1.2 fWAR

When taking a look at the American League pitchers during May, many players deserved to be recognized. However, Royals starter Kris Bubic was far and beyond the best pitcher in the AL last month.

On the road to being named our gold medal pitcher for May, Bubic led the AL in ERA, with his 0.56 mark standing above the rest. It’s not common to see this under any circumstances, and Bubic made the most of every inning he threw in May.

For a Royals rotation with many very good starting pitching options, it’s been very impressive to see how Bubic slowly separated himself from the other arms on the team, as well as the entirety of the American League.

Silver Medal Pitcher of the Month: Nathan Eovaldi, TEX

May Stats: 2-1 (5 GS), 0.68 ERA, 26.2 IP, 27 K, 11 BB, 0.9 fWAR

Throughout his entire career, Nathan Eovaldi has maintained a reputation as one of the most consistent starting pitchers in the sport. At the ripe age of 35 years old, this has never been more true, as he’s pitched very well this season.

Eovaldi was one of just two AL pitchers (min. 25 IP) to finish with an ERA under one during May, finishing just behind Bubic for the top spot. He dominated hitters on all cylinders, proving he’s worth every penny of his new contract.

The Rangers will hope Eovaldi’s stint on the 15-day IL is brief (right posterior elbow inflammation), because if he continues to perform like this, he’ll find his way back on the podium later this year.

Bronze Medal Pitcher of the Month: Tarik Skubal, DET

May Stats: 2-0 (6 GS) 2.20 ERA, 41 IP, 59 K, 2 BB 1.9 fWAR

It wouldn’t feel right not to include Tarik Skubal, the reigning Cy Young winner, on this list. He dominated hitters in May, as he continues to fight for the title of “Best Pitcher in Baseball.”

Skubal accumulated the most fWAR of any starter during May, while consistently ranking near the top of the sport in every pitching category.

He also threw one of the more dominant complete-game shutouts we’ve seen, as he struck out 13 during the game. Skubal finished off this outing with just 94 pitches, hitting 103 MPH on the last pitch of the game.

Just Missed the Podium: Max Fried, NYY

May Stats: 2-1 (6 GS), 1.39 ERA, 37.1 IP, 37 K, 7 BB, 1.0 fWAR

When the Yankees pivoted from Juan Soto to Max Fried this past offseason, they expected Fried to become their ace and transform the rotation. Since joining the Yankees, he’s done just that, and he showcased his skills during May’s contests.

Before his blowup against the Dodgers over the weekend, Fried was posting some of the best numbers in Major League Baseball – and he was supposed to be our bronze medal winner.

While he lost his spot on the podium, Fried still had a strong month. Only seven AL starters accumulated more than 1.0 fWAR in May, and Fried was among those arms. Out of those players, he had the second-best ERA before his start on Friday. Even after the blowup outing, he still ended the month with a 2.65 ERA.

In the absence of Gerrit Cole, Fried has stood in and become a true ace in the Bronx.