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The American League MVP race is coming down to two of the brightest sluggers in the league duking it out as Mariners backstop Cal Raleigh and Yankee captain Aaron Judge battle for the most prestigious individual award in the MLB. Raleigh has had a sensational campaign as he has spearheaded the Mariners to another postseason trip. Similarly, Judge has done the same for the Yankees, who are yearning to make a trip back to the World Series and finally win it all.
Unlike the National League MVP race wherein Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani is the clear-cut winner due to his dominance both at the plate and the mound, the AL MVP award is anything but with a few games left this year. Fans and analysts have made their voices as to which side of the fence are they on when it comes to Cal Raleigh and Aaron Judge.
While Judge has claimed two AL MVP honors in 2021 and 2024, Raleigh has certainly made a case for himself as a worthy competitor against the outfield star. Let's now take a look at key factors that Cal Raleigh has which will get him voted as this year's AL MVP.
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4 bold reasons why Cal Raleigh deserves AL MVP award over Aaron Judge in 2025
1) Historic catcher's season
Cal Raleigh set plenty of records with his terrific 2025 campaign for the Mariners. The backstop recently became just the seventh player in league history to record at least 60 home runs in a season, joining Judge, Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, and Babe Ruth.
In addition, Raleigh also cemented his name in the history books by breaking home run records in a campaign for a Mariner held by Ken Griffey Jr. with 57, switch hitter set by Mickey Mantle with 54, and catcher tallied by Salvador Perez with 48.
2) Single-season home run record
At the time of writing, Raleigh currently leads the MLB with 60 home runs with Judge sitting at 51. Just three seasons ago, the latter set the American League single-season home run record with 62. With four games left to spare, the Mariners backstop would have the chance to tie, and even surpass the historic feat.
Fortunately enough, Raleigh's next mound opponent is Rockies pitcher Bradley Blalock. The hurler currently possess the unfortunate distinction of allowing the second-most home runs per nine innings this year.
3) Voter fatigue
Aaron Judge has yet to win consecutive MVP awards. This is due to the fact of his see-saw career which will see him post tame numbers one year and explosive numbers the next.
With Judge is having a sensational campaign, Raleigh could have the advantage of voter's fatigue if the case is made that he's playing a much more demanding position than his counterpart.
4) Counting stats
Statistics and averages are the biggest metrics when it comes to selecting a season's most valuable player. While it's indeed true that Aaron Judge has the edge over Cal Raleigh in averages, the latter clears the former when it comes to counting stats. Apart from the aforementioned home run tally, Raleigh also leads the American League with 125 RBIs compared to Judge's 121.
In addition, Judge also has better protection in the lineup, which helps him establish better numbers on offense as the Yankees lead the league in team OPS at .786. In contrast, the Mariners' team OPS is at .746 with Cal Raleigh's currently at .959, a telltale sign that he's doing the heavy lifting on the team's offensive output.
