University of Kwazulu-Natal

Why Cal Raleigh Should Edge Out Aaron Judge For Al Mvp

Bonisiwe Shabane
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why cal raleigh should edge out aaron judge for al mvp

Despite breaking records and leading MLB in both home runs and RBIs during the 2025 season, Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh fell short of winning the American League MVP award on Thursday night. Raleigh finished second in the AL MVP voting to Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge, who had a tremendous season himself. Judge finished with 17 first-place votes and 13 second-place votes from the BBWAA as Raleigh garnered 13 first-place votes and 17 second-place votes. While Judge’s season in itself was MVP-worthy, there’s an argument to be made that Raleigh was more deserving of the award for his campaign in 2025. Since Judge was announced the winner, let’s break down two key reasons Raleigh was snubbed. It’s not just that Cal Raleigh led the league in both home runs and RBIs, it’s that he put up historic offensive production for a catcher.

Sure, Raleigh’s batting average was lower than Judge or any other catcher that’s won MVP, but he hit significantly more home runs than any catcher in league history. 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: Editor’s Note: This column was written on the afternoon of September 24.

Since then, Cal Raleigh hit his 60th homerun, the Seattle Mariners won the AL West, and Aaron Judge hit his 50th and 51st homerun. The 2025 American League MVP race has crystallized into a thrilling duel between New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge and Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh. Judge, a two-time MVP, has delivered another colossal season, leading the majors in batting average (.326), on-base percentage (.451), slugging (.672), OPS (1.123), and both versions of WAR (9.2 fWAR, 9.0 bWAR). His 130 runs scored and role as the anchor of a Yankees team fighting for playoff positioning make him a formidable candidate. But MVP isn’t just about who’s the “best player” or who posts the flashiest rate stats. It’s about value—the player most indispensable to their team’s success, viewed through the lens of context.

In that framework, Raleigh emerges as the deserving winner. His historic power surge, elite defense at baseball’s most punishing position, and central role in propelling the Mariners toward their first AL West title in 24 years make his case undeniable. With betting odds deadlocked at -115 for both players, Raleigh’s narrative-driven, context-heavy season gives him the edge over Judge’s statistical dominance. Let’s start with offense, where Raleigh isn’t just competing—he’s rewriting history. As of September 24, he leads all of baseball with 58 home runs and 121 RBIs, shattering multiple records. He’s broken the single-season home run mark for catchers (previously 48), switch-hitters (surpassing 54 from 1961), and his own franchise (eclipsing 56 from 1997 and ’98).

If he hits two more homers in Seattle’s final six games—all at home against the Rockies and Dodgers—he’ll reach the hallowed 60-home-run mark, a feat achieved cleanly only by Babe Ruth, Roger Maris, and... Hitting 62 would tie Judge’s AL record; 63 would set a new non-PED standard. Yes, Judge’s .326/.451/.672 line outshines Raleigh’s .247/.360/.589 (169 OPS+), but context is critical. Raleigh plays half his games in T-Mobile Park, the most pitcher-friendly stadium in MLB over the last three years. Yankee Stadium, meanwhile, ranks third for home runs and average for runs. Adjusted for park effects, Raleigh’s power is even more remarkable—executives estimated he’d have around 64 homers in Judge’s park.

As a switch-hitter, Raleigh adds versatility, thriving in tough matchups, and his 14 stolen bases top Judge’s 12, showing unexpected agility for a catcher. 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

The 2025 American League MVP race was flat-out wild. Two extraordinary but totally different players — Aaron Judge and Cal Raleigh — went head-to-head and gave us one of the most intense MVP debates in recent memory. What does “most valuable” even mean? Is it about record-breaking offense, or does it include the grind of defense, leadership, and playing tough positions? This year, baseball writers couldn’t agree, and honestly, that made the whole thing way more interesting. When it was all said and done, Aaron Judge took home the award.

He racked up 17 first-place votes and finished with 355 points. Cal Raleigh had a strong showing too, pulling in 13 first-place votes. He came up just short, but the tight vote really says a lot about how split everyone felt. Most years, there’s one guy with the gaudy stats who runs away with it. Not in 2025. 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:

1. Actual value of a player to his team, that is, strength of offense and defense. 3. General character, disposition, loyalty and effort. Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh would be the clear front-runner for American League MVP in most seasons. Unfortunately for the slugger, he finds himself competing with New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge for the honor.

The Yankees' captain is the players' choice to win the award, but Raleigh is not far behind. With a strong finish, he could pull off the upset. Raleigh reached 60 home runs with two bombs on Wednesday night. His performance against the Colorado Rockies brings him even closer to Judge's historic mark from 2022. The catcher needs three home runs in four games to set a new single-season AL home run record. If he keeps up his current pace, he will get there before the Mariners' final regular season game on Sunday.

Judge and Raleigh's competition for the AL MVP has given experts a lot to think about. Regardless of how the season finishes, voters will have a hard time deciding between the two. Raleigh is the favorite as of now, but that could change nightly until the season finishes this weekend. Both players are deserving candidates, but one of the two will walk away disappointed this fall. Comparing the stars to one another is an interesting thought exercise. On one hand, the dominance Raleigh has displayed as a power hitter should give him the edge.

However, the numbers would suggest that Judge has had the better season by a long shot. Voters have to split hairs between the two, leading to what could be the closest voting results in years. The fact that each of the All-Stars is playing at such a high level is good for Major League Baseball. However, Raleigh's supporters have a good argument to make that the catcher deserves his recognition. Here is why he will win. Sometimes MVP races are rather obvious like in the case of Shohei Ohtani, who is on a three-year run of winning it unanimously with the Angels in 2023 and in the past two seasons...

Or in the case of Aaron Judge, whose 58 homers and 144 RBIs made him the unanimous AL MVP last season. In other years it is kind of obvious but there is a worthy challenger, whose exploits produce a spirited and ultimately fun debate. Such is the case of Judge getting the AL MVP over Cal Raleigh, whose strong case of 60 homers and 125 RBIs made the race a close finish. Judge won the race by 20 points (355-335) by getting 17 of the 30 first-place votes, including a split ticket among New York and Boston voters. It resulted in the closest AL MVP finish since Mike Trout edged Alex Bregman by the same margin in 2019 and also split the votes in their respective markets of Anaheim and Houston.

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