It was a historic race for the 2025 Kevin Mitchell Award, honoring the DMBL's best batter, in more ways than one.
It might be time to consider renaming the award now that Sardine City's Aaron Judge has done what no other player has: win three consecutive Mitchell Awards. And he did it this year despite not receiving the most 1st-place votes in one of the closest Mitchell Award votes ever, barely nosing past Shohei Ohtani of Poovey Farms.
Ten of the DMBL's 20 owners submitted awards ballots, with the Mitchell Award determined by a 10-7-5-3-2-1 voting system.
It's the closest vote among Judge's 3 Mitchell Awards, winning each of the others by a wide margin: 95-40, with 9 of 10 1st-place votes, over Ohtani in 2024, and 75-40 over Allentown's Mike Trout in 2023.
There really hasn't been a Mitchell Award race that's been very close since 2017 when Hoboken legend Miguel Cabrera edged Hopatcong rookie C Gary Sanchez by 3 points (when a measly 5 ballots were cast). The last time anyone not named Aaron Judge won the award was 2022 when Philly's Bryce Harper did it.
The 2018 Listach Award winner when he played in Empire City, Judge received 4 1st-place votes, garnered the most 2nd-place votes (5), and tacked on a 3rd to compile 80 points. Clearly, Ohtani's DH-only status hurt among some voters. He led all players with 5 1st place votes and nabbed 3 2nd-place votes but ended up with a 4th- and 5th-place vote, which is where he fell short of Judge, with 76 points. Had those two ballots been 3rds instead, Ohtani walks away with a 1-point win rather than finishing 4 points behind. The two were the only players among 13 receiving votes who appeared on all 10 ballots.
In the end, it turned out to be a two-man race. 3B Jose Ramirez of Blue Ridge (now with Team Andy, permanent name TBD, after the dispersal draft) finished a distance 3rd with 32 points, garnering the other outstanding 1st-place vote and appearing on 9 of 10 ballots. Allentown's Kyle Tucker finished 4th with 22 points but no ballot higher than a 3rd: 2 3rds, 3 4ths (the most of any player), and a 5th- and 6th-place vote. Hoboken OF Matt Wallner was right behind him with 29 points, receiving the most 3rd-place votes (3), along with a 4th and 5th.
Hopatcong SS Bobby Witt, Jr. slid into 6th with 14 points, just ahead of Livingston's Juan Soto, with 12 points, and Brent Rooker of Blue Ridge, with 11 points. The rest of the field came in with single-digit points or single votes. Sardine City SS Corey Seager was 9th with 5 points thanks to 1 3rd-place ballot.
Allentown CF Victor Robles, the 2025 stolen base king, finished with 3 points, getting a 5th- and 6th-place vote. Livingston's Mookie Betts garnered 2 6th-place votes to match the 2 points that Joc Pederson received with 5th place vote. Newark's Jurickson Profar rounded out the field with a likely hometown 6th-place vote and a single point. In a somewhat rarity, no rookies garnered support in Mitchell voting.
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