The MLB MVP voting results were announced on Thursday. To no one's surprise, Dodgers designated hitter/pitcher Shohei Ohtani took home the National League MVP title. As for the American League MVP, Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge won the award with 17 first-place votes, while Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh finished second with 13 first-place votes.
Twins center fielder Byron Buxton misses out on big bonus after AL MVP voting results announced
Byron Buxton was featured on the AL MVP ballot, receiving votes as high as seventh place. However, he finished 11th overall in voting, which kept him from receiving a $3 million bonus. He needed just two more points to receive the big payday.
Byron Buxton placed 11th in the AL MVP voting, which means he missed out on a $3 million bonus by one spot. pic.twitter.com/8Ezv3AFF29
— Aaron Gleeman (@AaronGleeman) November 14, 2025
It's easy to conclude that Buxton was robbed of a top-10 finish in the MVP standings, as he had one of the best seasons of his career, posting 5.0 fWAR with a .264/.327/.551 (136 wRC+) slashline and career-highs in homers (35) and RBI (83). Additionally, Buxton provided elite defense with three outs above average and stole 24 bases.
Twins' Byron Buxton wasn't robbed- but deserved more love than Rays' Junior Caminero in AL MVP voting
However, when looking at the 2025 AL fWAR standings, Buxton lands in 11th place, suggesting his MVP voting results are accurate. The only player worth less fWAR than Buxton who finished ahead of him in the voting results is Rays third baseman Junior Caminero, who posted 4.6 fWAR while slashing .264/.311/.535 (129 wRC+) with 45 homers and 110 RBI. Caminero still had a great season, but Buxton's defense and presence on the basepaths make the Twins center fielder a bit more valuable than the Rays third baseman.
Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia is the only player worth more fWAR than Buxton who finished behind him in the voting results. In 2025, Garcia posted 5.6 fWAR with a .286/.351/.449 (121 wRC+) slashline, 16 home runs and 74 RBI.
If Garcia had finished ahead of Buxton in the MVP standings, it would have been fair and square. The fact that Caminero finished ahead of Buxton isn't fair, as Buxton clearly was more valuable given all of the aspects of his game. Regardless, Buxton had a spectacular season that won't be forgotten anytime soon.