University of Kwazulu-Natal

Why Cal Big Dumper Raleigh Got Screwed As Aaron Judge Wins 2025 Al Mvp

Bonisiwe Shabane
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why cal big dumper raleigh got screwed as aaron judge wins 2025 al mvp

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 Aaron Judge and Cal Raleigh had historic seasons, but only one could win the AL MVP.

Steph Chambers / Getty Images By Tyler Kepner, Chandler Rome, Britt Ghiroli and Zack Meisel Plenty has changed about baseball. Little has changed about how voters are supposed to determine the league’s Most Valuable Player. From the official guidance given by the BBWAA: There is no clear-cut definition of what Most Valuable means.

It is up to the individual voter to decide who was the Most Valuable Player in each league to his team. The MVP need not come from a division winner or other playoff qualifier. The rules of the voting remain the same as they were written on the first ballot in 1931: This ended up being one of the most intriguing MVP races in recent history. In one corner was New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, who has a case as the greatest right-handed hitter of all time. He showed off that hitting prowess all year long.

Judge led all of baseball in batting average (.331), on-base percentage (.457), slugging average (.688) and OPS (1.144). He had the top Wins Above Replacement number in the American League at 9.7. In the other corner was the Big Dumper, Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh. The switch-hitting catcher had a season unlike any other. Raleigh hit 60 home runs, breaking the record for home runs in a single season by a catcher, switch-hitter and a Mariner. November 14, 2025, 6:32am EST 89 • By Swati Bhatia

The 2025 MLB awards night belonged to Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani as both swept the league’s biggest honors. Ohtani was named the National League MVP, while Judge took home the American League MVP, marking back-to-back MVP seasons for the Yankees captain. While Ohtani’s MVP win was unanimous, Judge’s victory came after one of the tightest races in recent years. The Yankees slugger received 17 first-place votes, narrowly edging out Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, who finished with 13. Both players had incredible seasons. Aaron Judge continued his reign as one of the game’s most complete hitters, while Raleigh delivered a historic year for Seattle, helping guide the Mariners to their first ALCS appearance in two decades.

Aaron Judge is MVP again!It’s back-to-back AL MVPs for The Captain! pic.twitter.com/HzqA96V6Ni Raleigh smashed 60 home runs, setting a new record for most homers by a catcher in MLB history, and drove in 125 RBIs while hitting .247 with a .948 OPS. JAaron udge, on the other hand, hit .331 with 53 home runs, 114 RBIs, and a 1.144 OPS, outperforming Raleigh in 17 statistical categories. The Seattle Mariners expected a tight finish in the 2025 AL MVP race, and the debate intensified the moment the results dropped. The reaction to Aaron Judge claiming the award spread quickly after he won by a narrow margin, triggering immediate outrage from Mariners fans.

Many pointed to the AL MVP voting results as evidence that Cal Raleigh’s historic season carried more weight. The catcher delivered a rare blend of power and durability in 2025, leading all of MLB with 60 home runs while handling the physical demands of catching over 1,000 innings. Supporters felt his mix of offense, defense, and leadership placed him ahead of Judge in overall value, especially as the team surged to the division title. That frustration exploded across social media. Mariners fans erupted in fury after Judge's 2025 AL MVP win, with Seattle fans decrying the snub of Raleigh's catcher-masterclass season as a blatant case of Yankee favoritism. “To out it bluntly, it is total b*llshit that Judge won the mvp award.

Cal Raleigh was robbed point blank in front of the entire world,” fumed @sportsmachineNH. “Nah, f*ck that. East coast writers handing the award to Judge who only made an offensive impact. Cal got robbed. Sad day in MLB history when the one who deserves the award dint get it because an east coast poster boy existed,” wrote @Havoc_XXI. Cal Raleigh has won the first hardware battle.

The Mariners catcher won the Baseball Digest/Inside Edge major league player of the year award on Friday, beating out Yankees slugger Aaron Judge as the two await their AL MVP fate. Raleigh won 12 of 24 first-place votes and garnered 56 points from a panel of writers, broadcasters, executives, managers and former players, with Judge — last year’s winner — getting eight first-place votes and... Both players are preparing for the American League Division Series beginning this weekend on the heels of historic regular season campaigns. Raleigh became the seventh player to hit 60 home runs, demolishing the mark for catchers and switch-hitters, leading the AL with 125 RBIs to guide Seattle to the AL West title and the No. 2 seed. For much of the summer, it felt like the Seattle Mariners were watching history unfold through the bat and mitt of Cal Raleigh.

The team’s hard-hitting catcher, affectionately dubbed “Big Dumper,” had muscled his way into the heart of the AL MVP race, going toe-to-toe with none other than two-time winner Aaron Judge. When Judge landed on the injured list in late July with a flexor strain in his right elbow, Mariners fans dared to believe Raleigh’s first MVP award was no longer just a dream but... But baseball will always be humbling. Since July, Raleigh has cooled noticeably, batting just .203/.323/.485, while Judge has stormed back in full superstar fashion. Over his last 18 games, Judge has torched opposing pitchers with a 1.311 OPS and eight home runs, a stretch that has once again made him the overwhelming betting favorite to claim the hardware. For Mariners fans, the scenario of Judge sidelined while Raleigh runs away with the race — has quickly flipped into a sobering reality.

That’s not to say Raleigh doesn’t still have a case. As Mookie Betts recently pointed out on MLB Network, MVP shouldn’t be reduced to a slugging contest. Host Greg Amsinger echoed that sentiment, reminding viewers that the Hank Aaron Award already exists to honor pure offensive dominance, while the MVP should reflect total value. In a season headlined by Cal Raleigh’s record-breaking power and Aaron Judge’s all-around dominance, the 2025 AL MVP race is shaping up as one of the tightest, and most fascinating, battles of the modern... After the conclusion of the 2017 Major League Baseball (MLB) Season, Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve was named American League Most Valuable Player (MVP). The player who finished second in voting, Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge, was just finishing a spectacular rookie season.

Flash forward to the 2025 MLB season and Judge is now in a similarly tight race for MVP. This time, his competitor is Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, affectionately nicknamed “Big Dumper.” Hilarious nicknames aside, Raleigh’s numbers are no laughing matter for a catcher. Fans are fiercely debating this race. Here at The Lamron, we aim to settle the division and analyze every angle to bring a rightful conclusion to perhaps the most disputed MVP race of the 21st century. The logical first step in assessing the MVP winner is to look at the cold, hard stats, because we know “numbers don’t lie.” Starting with the Mariner’s superstar, Raleigh has hit 58 home runs...

These astonishing power numbers have broken multiple MLB records. Raleigh holds records for most home runs by a catcher, switch-hitter, and Seattle Mariner in a single season. The one record Raleigh still chases is the American League home run mark, set by Judge in 2022. As of September 22, Raleigh has 58 home runs and about six games to either tie or surpass Judge’s 62 from three seasons ago. It will be tough, but no record seems out of reach for Cal Raleigh now.

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