Aaron Judge Named 2025 American League Mvp Yankees Slugger Beats

For the second straight season, New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge has been named the American League's Most Valuable Player. Judge beat out Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh and Cleveland Guardians third baseman José Ramírez for the award, the BBWAA announced Thursday night. As the voting results show, it was a close race between Judge and Raleigh: This is Judge's second straight MVP and the third of his career (he also won in 2022). He is the 13th player with three MVPs. Only Barry Bonds (seven) and Shohei Ohtani (four), who won this year's National League MVP, have more.

Judge is the fourth Yankee with three MVPs, joining Hall of Famers Joe DiMaggio (1939, 1941, 1947), Yogi Berra (1951, 1954-55), and Mickey Mantle (1956-57, 1962). He joins Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers superstar who won National League MVP. Judge slashed .331/.457/.688 this season and led baseball in batting average by 20 points, on-base percentage by 58 points, and slugging percentage by 66 points. His 53 home runs were second in the AL behind Raleigh's 60. Judge's 9.7 WAR was 1.7 wins better than the next best player, per Baseball Reference's calculations. Yankees captain Aaron Judge is still chasing that elusive first championship, but he needs to create some space in his trophy room for yet another piece of esteemed hardware.

Judge's latest historic season was formally recognized on Thursday, as he received American League MVP honors for a second straight season and the third time in four years. While the decision among BBWAA members wasn't unanimous -- like last season's results -- Judge earned 17 first-place votes to beat out Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (13 first-place votes) and the Cleveland Guardians' Jose... "Aaron has been playing in rarified air for much of his career," Yankees GM Brian Cashman said in a statement. "His devotion to his craft, his continuous pursuit of excellence, and the importance he places on being a teammate who can be counted on help define his legacy just as much as his three... “He is a once-in-a-generation player who embodies so much of what is good about our game. Aaron is being celebrated again tonight, and rightfully so.

He has blossomed into one of sports’ greatest superstars.” In another defining moment for the New York Yankees, Aaron Judge once again reminded everyone that consistency and dominance still matter in a sport obsessed with new stars and shiny narratives. The 33-year-old slugger captured his third American League MVP award, edging Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh in a very close vote, 355 to 335. It wasn’t the landslide some of his earlier wins had been—but it didn’t need to be. Judge got 17 first-place votes and 13 for second, while Raleigh earned 13 first-place votes and 17 to be the runner-up. It was a razor-thin win, but a win nonetheless.

MVP. Case Closed.Congratulations to @TheJudge44 on winning the 2025 American League MVP award ? pic.twitter.com/WaDcqDOIew Raleigh, a catcher, made a compelling case, leading the league with 60 home runs and 125 RBI—numbers that would win the MVP in most years. But 2025 wasn’t most years, and Aaron Judge isn’t most players. The Yankees captain didn’t just hit; he dominated at-bats in a way that still feels unmatched in the modern game.

Judge led the American League with a .331 batting average, a 204 wRC+, and 10.1 fWAR. He scored 137 runs—an absurd total in today’s run environment—and even after missing time with a flexor strain in July, he still finished with 53 home runs. Without that brief injury setback, it’s not hard to imagine him pushing Raleigh for the league lead in long balls too. For the third time in the last four years, New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge is the American League MVP winner, with the BBWAA wrapping up award week by announcing the MVPs on Thursday... It was another brilliant season for the hulking slugger, but unlike last year when he won the award unanimously, there was a legitimate challenger this time around in Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh. Both players had a compelling case, and while Judge ultimately finished on top, it was one of the closest votes in recent memory:

Before we dive into why Big Dumper should have been the 2025 AL MVP, let's first lay out the case for Judge to provide some context. .css-1582m2i{margin:0;font:inherit;font-weight:700;}The Case for Aaron Judge New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge is your 2025 American League MVP. He was announced as the winner on Thursday night, barely edging out Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh. Judge received 17 first-place votes and 13 second-place votes, while Raleigh received 13 first-place votes and 17 second-place votes. It is Judge’s second straight AL MVP trophy, and his third overall.

He joins Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, and Joe DiMaggio as the only Yankees ever to win three MVPs. Aaron Judge is MVP again!It’s back-to-back AL MVPs for The Captain! pic.twitter.com/HzqA96V6Ni Judge hit .331 in 2025 with a 1.144 OPS, 179 hits, 53 homers, 114 RBIs and 137 runs scored in 152 games. Judge won the AL batting title, and his 53 home runs are the most ever for a batting champ. We’re all watching in amazement 👏Aaron Judge joins Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio as the only Yankees ever to win 3 MVPs!

pic.twitter.com/yFvclsiQHr For months, debate has swirled about the American League Most Valuable Player Award. Would the honor go to New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge for the third time in four years after another extraordinary offensive season, or would it go to Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh,... On Thursday, voters narrowly chose Judge, who continued to cement his place among baseball's all-time greats by becoming the 13th player to win three or more MVPs. He joins Yogi Berra, Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle as the only Yankees to have accomplished the feat. The vote from the Baseball Writers' Association of America was one of the closest in years.

Judge received 17 of the 30 first-place votes and 13 second-place votes. Raleigh received the other 13 first-place votes while finishing second on the other 17 ballots. If two writers had switched their votes, it would have been a tie.

People Also Search

• Yankees' Aaron Judge wins AL MVP for third time in four years
• Aaron Judge named 2025 American League MVP: Yankees slugger beats ...
• Aaron Judge wins 2025 AL MVP Award - MLB.com
• Yankees' Aaron Judge wins third AL MVP award, beating out Cal ... - MSN
• Yankees' Aaron Judge named AL MVP, Hank Aaron award winner
• Yankees captain beat Mariners slugger in MVP race by razor-thin margin
• Why Cal 'Big Dumper' Raleigh Got Screwed as Aaron Judge Wins 2025 AL MVP
• Yankees' Aaron Judge Wins Third AL MVP, Edging Out Cal Raleigh
• Yankees' Aaron Judge named AL MVP after incredible 2025 season - MSN