Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber, Aaron Nola named Players Choice Award winners
Kyle Schwarber and Aaron Nola can place some new hardware on their mantles.
The two veteran Phillies were named 2025 Players Choice Award winners, as announced by the Major League Baseball Players Association on Wednesday. Schwarber, the National League leader in home runs, was voted NL Outstanding Player by his fellow big leaguers, while Nola was selected as the Players Trust Philanthropist of the Year.
Voting for the 34th annual MLBPA Players Choice Awards took place in September.
Schwarber hit 56 home runs in a career-best year, serving as a force in Philadelphia’s lineup. The designated hitter played in all 162 games, led the major leagues with 132 RBIs, won All-Star Game MVP in July and tied a big-league record with four home runs in a game in August. The slugger’s 150 OPS+ was his highest in a season.
The MLBPA members tabbed Schwarber as NL Outstanding Player over two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, who will likely win NL MVP for the second year in a row to bring his career MVP total to four. Schwarber hit one more home run than Ohtani, but the Dodgers sensation still had 55 homers with an NL-leading 1.014 OPS — not to mention his 2.87 ERA in 14 starts on the mound.
While Schwarber won NL Outstanding Player, Ohtani was a finalist for overall Player of the Year, which ultimately went to Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh.
Nola, who has spent his entire 11-year career with the Phillies, was honored for his charity work in the Philadelphia community. He donated a total of $197,000 to Team Red, White and Blue during the 2024 season to benefit United States military veterans and raised $225,000 for Team RWB at a charity poker tournament he hosted at Citizens Bank Park this May. Nola is also active in the cause for ALS research and is a supporter of Philabundance, a non-profit food bank and hunger-relief organization in Philadelphia.
Full list of Players Choice Award winners:
Player of the Year: Cal Raleigh, Seattle
Marvin Miller Man of the Year: Brent Suter, Cincinnati
Philanthropist of the Year: Aaron Nola, Philadelphia
Curt Flood Award: Don Baylor and Scott Sanderson
AL Outstanding Player: Cal Raleigh, Seattle
NL Outstanding Player: Kyle Schwarber, Philadelphia
AL Outstanding Pitcher: Tarik Skubal, Detroit
NL Outstanding Pitcher: Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh
AL Outstanding Rookie: Nick Kurtz, Athletics
NL Outstanding Rookie: Drake Baldwin, Atlanta
AL Comeback Player: Jacob deGrom, Texas
NL Comeback Player: Ronald Acuña Jr., Atlanta