The final month of the 2025 regular season saw spectacular performances from some of MLB’s biggest stars — hitters and pitchers alike — plus a standout showing from an unheralded rookie.
Here are the Players of the Month presented by Chevrolet for September.
Judge closed an incredible regular season strong, batting .370 with a 1.292 OPS in September — the highest OPS of any qualifying hitter. He slugged 10 homers in the month to finish with 53, becoming just the third player to win a league batting title and hit at least 50 home runs in the same season. Judge, who was also named the AL Player of the Month in April and May, is — along with Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh — a leading AL MVP contender.
Not only was the Nationals’ rookie outfielder splendid in September — Lile put up a .391/.440/.772 slash line (1.212 OPS) during the final month — but he did something no one had accomplished since Willie Mays. Lile used his speed and power to become the first player to hit seven or more triples and six or more home runs in a calendar month since Mays in June 1957. He finished the year batting .299 with nine homers, eight steals and an .845 OPS.
Thanks to Fried’s September excellence, the Yankees took home both the AL Player and Pitcher of the Month awards. Fried posted a 1.89 ERA in five September starts, striking out 35 hitters in 33 1/3 innings and earning the win in all five outings. The left-hander finished his first season in Yankees pinstripes with a 2.86 ERA and 189 K’s in 195 1/3 innings, and he’ll take the ball for New York in Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series against the Red Sox on Tuesday.
After cooling a bit during the middle of 2025, Yamamoto closed the regular season with a September nearly as strong as a red-hot April (0.38 ERA) that earned him his first Pitcher of the Month Award. Yamamoto received the honor again after posting a 0.67 ERA (two earned runs in 27 innings) in four September starts, allowing just seven hits and striking out 34. Through his first 48 Major League starts, the talented right-hander has a 2.66 ERA.
The Guardians surged in the standings late in the season to win the AL Central, overcoming a 15 1/2-game deficit to catch the Tigers — the largest erasure for a league or division title, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Cantillo was a key reason for Cleveland’s incredible run, closing the regular season with a 1.55 ERA and 28 strikeouts in 29 innings across five starts.
NL Rookie of the Month: Daylen Lile, Nationals
Before Lile, the last Nationals player to earn NL Rookie of the Month was Juan Soto in June, July and September of 2018. Lile joined the club by closing out his standout September strong, hitting 18-for-45 (.400) with four homers over the season’s final two weeks. He had two or more hits in 14 of his 25 games in September, the most multihit games in the Majors in that span.
Just like Cantillo, Smith played a key role in Cleveland’s exciting comeback down the stretch. He saved seven games in September, tied for the most in the AL, including saves in six straight appearances from Sept. 6-14. After allowing three earned runs without recording an out in his first outing of September against the Red Sox, Smith allowed just one earned run for the rest of the regular season. He finished the month with a 2.77 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 13 innings.
Since being acquired from the Athletics at the July 31 Trade Deadline, Miller has paid major dividends for San Diego. The flamethrowing right-hander posted a 0.77 ERA for the Padres in 22 appearances — including a perfect September with no runs allowed in 12 1/3 innings. Miller allowed only one hit all month, struck out 26 and picked up five holds and a save in a stellar finish to his regular season.
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