Yankees Aaron Judge Edges Out Mariners Cal Raleigh To Win Third Mvp

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Nov 18, 2025, 8:57 AM

yankees aaron judge edges out mariners cal raleigh to win third mvp

Updated on: November 14, 2025 / 12:19 AM EST / CBS/AP In the American League, Aaron Judge became the New York Yankees' fourth three-time Most Valuable Player winner, edging Seattle's Cal Raleigh with 17 first-place votes to 13 for the switch-hitting catcher. The vote was the closest for an MVP since the Los Angeles Angels' Mike Trout topped Houston's Alex Bregman by 17-13 in 2019. Judge, who won the AL award in 2022 and 2024, joined Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra and Mickey Mantle as three-time MVPs with the Yankees. The 33-year-old outfielder led the majors with a .331 batting average and 1.144 OPS while hitting 53 homers. When asked about his place in MLB and Yankees lore, Judge acknowledged he's in rare company.

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. New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge edged Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh in a tight race to win his third American League Most Valuable Player award in four seasons, solidifying his place among other...

In recent months, the debate centered on which player would win the prestigious award. Judge, the Yankees captain, had an explosive offensive season, leading the Majors in almost every category while also topping the American League in each. Meanwhile, Raleigh hit a record-breaking 60 homers this season, according to MLB.com. On Thursday, members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America voted for the 33-year-old, who finished with 355 points and 17 of 30 first-place votes. Raleigh received the remaining 13 first-place votes and 335 points. The Cleveland Guardians’ José Ramírez finished third with 224 points.

Judge became the 13th player to win the MVP award three times, etching his place in history alongside Yankee legends Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra and Mickey Mantle. “It’s tough for me to wrap my head around it,” Judge said in a statement obtained by MLB.com. “It’s really kind of mind-blowing. I just play this game to win. I play this game for my teammates, my family, all the fans in New York. I just want to go out there and give them my best every single day.”

The MLB released the 2026 regular season schedule. Here is a look at key dates and events. The New York Yankees outfielder won his third career American League Most Valuable Player award on Thursday, edging out Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh and Cleveland Guardians third baseman José Ramírez. Judge, 33, previously won MVP in 2022 and 2024. He's just the fourth player to win the award at least three times for the Yankees -- joining Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra and Mickey Mantle -- and the first to do it in a... Judge joins Berra and Mantle as the only Yankees to win consecutive MVPs.

While Judge's counting numbers were down from his previous two MVP runs, he still put together a monster season. The Yankees captain hit a career-best .331 with 53 home runs and 114 RBIs -- leading the AL in runs scored, walks, batting average, slugging percentage, on-base plus slugging, total bases and intentional walks. Raleigh was Judge's closest competition this season, leading the AL with 60 home runs and 125 RBIs. The Mariners star hit just .247 though, not getting on base nearly as much as Judge. Aaron Judge won this third AL MVP and now has taken home the award in three of the past four seasons, a dominant stretch that has bolstered his Hall of Fame resume. Al Bello / Getty Images

LAS VEGAS — New York Yankees star Aaron Judge, who led MLB in batting average while hitting 53 home runs, beat the Seattle Mariners’ Cal Raleigh in a close vote to win his third... Judge netted 17 first-place votes and 355 points to edge Raleigh, who garnered 13 first-place votes and 335 points, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America announced Thursday night. The Cleveland Guardians’ José Ramírez (224 points) finished third. Judge’s across-the-board offensive dominance in leading the Yankees to a tie for the AL’s best record won out over whispers of voter fatigue amid a historic season from Raleigh, whose 60 home runs were... In the National League, Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter and starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani unanimously won his fourth MVP award. The 2025 American League MVP race wrapped up with New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge once again standing atop the baseball world.

In a nail-biting vote, Judge barely edged out Seattle Mariners star catcher Cal Raleigh to claim the honor for the second straight year—and the third time in his career. This achievement puts Judge among some of the most legendary names in Major League history. It also adds another chapter to a growing rivalry between two of the league’s brightest stars. By winning the 2025 AL MVP, Aaron Judge becomes just the 13th player in MLB history to earn the award three times. Among Yankees legends, only Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, and Mickey Mantle have reached that milestone. That’s rarified air, and it really cements Judge’s place as one of the franchise’s all-time greats.

Judge’s numbers? Honestly, they’re wild. The Yankees captain posted a slash line of .331/.457/.688, leading the league in average, on-base percentage, and slugging. For the third time in the last four years, Aaron Judge is the American League MVP. Judge beat out Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh to earn the honour on Thursday night, taking home 17 of the 30 first-place votes from the Baseball Writers' Association of America. All voting is completed prior to the post-season.

The 33-year-old was back in peak form in 2025, leading the AL in batting average, OPS, walks and WAR. He also blasted 53 home runs, drove in 114, stole 12 bases and won his fifth career Silver Slugger Award. Judge led his New York Yankees to a 94-win season, ultimately finishing second in the AL East to the Toronto Blue Jays. Two-way star Shohei Ohtani won his fourth MVP award in a unanimous vote for the National League honor on Thursday and Aaron Judge earned the American League accolade for the third time. Ohtani won a MVP for the third straight year, his second in the NL with the Los Angeles Dodgers after two in the AL with the Los Angeles Angels. All four have been unanimous.

Judge became the New York Yankees’ fourth three-time winner, edging Seattle’s Cal Raleigh with 17 first-place votes to 13 for the switch-hitting catcher. The vote was the closest for an MVP since the Angels’ Mike Trout topped Houston’s Alex Bregman by 17-13 in 2019. Ohtani became just the second player to win at least four MVP awards, trailing only seven by Barry Bonds. The 31-year-old Ohtani is the first to win in each league twice after getting the AL honor in 2021 and 2023. He signed with the crosstown Dodgers the following offseason and won NL MVP in 2024 during his first season in Chavez Ravine. He’s also won the World Series in both his seasons with the Dodgers.

Yankees Aaron Judge Edges Out Mariners Cal Raleigh To Win Third Mvp

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