Jacob Wilson, Drake Baldwin Named AL, NL Rookies of Month

Jacob Wilson of the Oakland Athletics has emerged as a leading candidate for the 2025 American League Rookie of the Year after an outstanding start to the season, including being named AL Rookie of the Month for May. Wilson led all AL rookies in multiple categories such as batting average, on-base percentage, slugging, and multi-hit games, highlighted by a .368 average and four home runs in May. Despite his excellence, some analysts caution about potential regression due to underlying metrics. On the National League side, Drake Baldwin of the Atlanta Braves holds the Rookie of the Year lead but faces competition from Matt Shaw of the Chicago Cubs, who has improved significantly since returning to the majors and is benefiting from more consistent playing time. Baldwin was also named NL Rookie of the Month for May, underscoring his strong performance. Both leagues feature promising young talent making the Rookie of the Year races compelling as the 2025 season progresses.