A 2025 MLB awards watch article from ESPN highlighted an Arizona Diamondbacks player as a dark-horse contender for the NL MVP — but it may not be who you think.

Bradford Doolittle listed D-backs shortstop Geraldo Perdomo as tied for fourth in the NL MVP race using a metric called AXE.

Perdomo was listed as having an AXE rating of 130, which was only eight points behind the predicted NL MVP, the Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong, whose rating was 138.

Most notably to Arizona fans, Perdomo was ahead of his fellow Diamondback teammate Corbin Carroll, who is also having a dominant start to the season and is ranked seventh on the NL MVP list with a 127 AXE rating.

Doolittle listed Perdomo as the NL’s biggest mover and emphasized his transition into one of MLB’s best shortstops.

Perdomo has transformed himself at the plate, making him the NL’s top shortstop during the opening months of the season. Always a high-contact hitter, Perdomo has sliced the whiffs even more while adding walks, a tough dual feat to pull off, but it has allowed him to push his OBP near the vaunted .400 line. On top of that, Perdomo has featured more power by matching his career high with six early homers. Match those upgrades with his usual plus defense and an 11-for-11 showing on the base paths, and the Diamondbacks find themselves with an elite shortstop.

Only Crow-Armstrong, the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani and the Padres’ Fernando Tatis Jr. rank ahead of Perdomo and the Cubs’ Kyle Tucker in the AXE ratings for NL players.

AXE is a metric that combines “the results from the leading publicly available value metrics to create a consensus evaluation of each player. These include bWAR, fWAR, win probability added and championship probability added. The ratings for each system are combined using standard scores and weighted to best fit the current standings.”

Perdomo has always been known for being an ace shortstop for the Diamondbacks, but his improved numbers at the plate are likely the reason behind his high rating. Perdomo has significantly improved with the bat this season, hitting .299 alongside six home runs and 37 RBIs.

Perdomo’s impact has been vital for the Diamondbacks, who are currently trying to grab hold of the lofty expectations yet sit fourth in the NL West.