Aaron Judge has had some fierce American League MVP debates and competitors since his rookie season. Some names include José Altuve, Shohei Ohtani, Bobby Witt Jr., and now Cal Raleigh. But what’s more important to the voters of this prestigious award? Cal Raleigh clubbing 60 home runs and carrying the Seattle Mariners to their first AL West crown since 2001. Another possibility is Aaron Judge winning his third MVP, matching Barry Bonds‘ numbers. Let’s take a dive into Aaron Judge and Cal Raleigh in their quest for the 2025 AL MVP.
Heated AL MVP Races of the Past
Controversy seems to arise every time the New York Yankees‘ captain is in the running for the American League’s top individual prize.
Judge’s rookie season in 2017 was so extraordinary that it had him runner-up to Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve. The Yankee rookie’s popularity soared during the All-Star break when he took home the Home Run Derby crown. Later that year, Judge broke the MLB record for home runs in a rookie season with 52. Altuve won the MVP by a large margin, but fans would soon question the award due to the Houston Astros’ implication in a league-wide crackdown on electronic sign-stealing.
2022 AL MVP Race
Aaron Judge’s performance in 2022 officially cemented him as one of baseball’s top two players. His competitor would be none other than the Japanese unicorn, Shohei Ohtani. The latter debuted in 2018 and became the sport’s first two-way star in over 90 years, being compared to the likes of Babe Ruth. Though Ohtani had his best start and a great ERA+ of 172, Judge’s performance at the plate was still noteworthy.
Judge became the first Yankee to hit 60 or more home runs since Roger Maris hit 61 in 1961. Hitting 62 home runs, he set the American League record for home runs in a season, which still stands today. Pitchers were petrified of facing Judge, as he totaled a league-leading 111 walks, 19 of them being intentional. He also recorded an insane 10.8 WAR, an OPS of 1.111, and an OPS+ 110 points above average. Judge displayed home run prowess, the ability to manufacture runs, and excellent fielding in center and right. Had Judge not put up historic numbers, the Yankees wouldn’t have sniffed the playoffs. That’s called being the American League’s Most Valuable Player, and the future Yankee captain won the award handily.
2024 AL MVP Race
2024 saw a closer competition, with Bobby Witt Jr. being Judge’s future opponent not only in that league’s Division Series but also in the American League MVP sweepstakes. While being surrounded by a few good hitters, Witt became the first Kansas City Royal to eclipse 200 hits since Whit Merrifield did so in 2019. In nearly a full season, Witt became the first Royal to be crowned the batting champion since George Brett in 1990. Witt also became a member of the 30-30 club, hitting 32 home runs and stealing 31 bases. To put the cherry on top, he also collected his first Gold Glove.
How about the Yankee captain? Once again, Judge put together another historic season to add to his illustrious career. He recorded the same WAR from his first MVP season while nearly topping 60 home runs once again and leading the league in RBI. Even with Juan Soto batting ahead, pitchers feared the Yankee captain.
Judge once again led the league in walks with 133 and put up an astronomical .458 on-base percentage while being intentionally walked a league-leading 20 times. With all that in mind, Judge wasn’t too far behind Witt in the batting champion race, as he finished with a .322 average, the best final mark of his career. Placing fourth in runs scored shows how close Aaron Judge was to being MLB’s first Triple Crown winner in over 10 seasons.
Bobby Witt Jr.’s 2024 season saw him rise to superstardom, and that’s not to be ignored. Both Judge and Witt are transcendent talents. But it’s maniacal to see Judge improve his power numbers while being over 30 years old.
2025 AL MVP: Bonds-Esque Versus Backstop Power for the Ages
Moving away from Aaron Judge, let’s discuss the historical season that baseball fans are witnessing from Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh.
In 2025, Raleigh has played 157 games so far, and hit a career-high 60 home runs, along with driving in 125 runs. Also, he’s achieved his career-highs with a 7.2 WAR and a .247 batting average. His 60 home runs are not only a Mariners franchise record, surpassing Ken Griffey Jr., but also the most ever by a switch-hitter (previously Mickey Mantle’s 54 in 1961), and also by a catcher (previously Salvador Perez’s 48 in 2021).
Raleigh has played 157 games, and 120 of them were at baseball’s toughest spot.
Raleigh’s critics believe that this is simply a one-off year where this type of production isn’t sustainable. They are right; 60 home runs is hardly sustainable unless your name is Mark McGwire or Barry Bonds. But proper analysis of the award for MVP doesn’t factor in previous success.
Given current trends favoring power hitting over traditional stats, Raleigh’s season is comparable to Mike Piazza‘s 1997 and Alex Rodriguez‘s 1999 MVP seasons.
For reference, Rodriguez only hit for a 125 OPS+ while Raleigh’s stands at 171. The latter also beats the former in OPS, where Raleigh’s is nearly 40 points higher. Even Rodriguez only had a 6.4 WAR compared to Raleigh’s 7.2.
Besides Julio Rodriguez rising to the occasion in the second half of the season, it’s hard to argue against the fact that Raleigh has carried the Mariners’ offense to their first divisional crown in over 20 years. Raleigh has also impressively hit almost half of his home runs at pitcher-friendly T-Mobile Park, and that may be overlooked in voting.
Final Verdict:
Cal Raleigh is putting together a historically great season, rivaling the best years of legendary catchers like Mike Piazza and Ivan Rodriguez. No switch-hitter or catcher has touched 60 home runs ever, and it’s hard to imagine it will happen for a while. It’s hard to imagine another catcher in today’s era who can play 120 games behind the dish.
All things considered, I don’t think Raleigh takes home the MVP. Yes, he’s having a great season for the ages as a catcher. But across baseball, Aaron Judge is doing things fans haven’t seen in baseball since Barry Bonds.
Yes, when Judge set the record for home runs by a hitter in the American League in 2022, he won the AL MVP. But if anyone uses that for Cal Raleigh, they’re ignoring a lot more context.
Not only can Judge win the AL MVP, but also the batting title and the Silver Slugger for his position, too. He leads MLB in WAR, total bases, and major slugging and on-base metrics. Pitchers are reluctant to face Judge, as he leads the league in walks with 123 and intentional walks with 36.
Raleigh’s 2025 season is a historic display of power from a home run and runs batted in standpoint. Raleigh trails Judge both in producing runs beyond the long ball and in reaching base consistently, as the latter’s stat line is more balanced.
Even if Judge wins the MVP, Raleigh’s 2025 campaign shouldn’t go unnoticed. He’ll deservedly win the Silver Slugger for the catcher position, and Mariners fans will remember it for a long time.
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