AL MVP Race Wide Open With Recent Struggles from Yankees Superstar
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It is no secret that Aaron Judge is well on his way to having one of the greatest seasons in the history of baseball.
Prior to a recent cold stretch, Judge's batting average has hovered around .400 all season, and it appeared that in early June, he'd already locked up the AL MVP award for the second consecutive season.
That's not quite as certain now as it once was, as Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh is making quite the case to steal the award right out from underneath Judge.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - JUNE 23: Cal Raleigh #29 of the Seattle Mariners rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run against the Minnesota Twins in the ninth inning of the game at Target Field...
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - JUNE 23: Cal Raleigh #29 of the Seattle Mariners rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run against the Minnesota Twins in the ninth inning of the game at Target Field on June 23, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. MoreRaleigh is putting together one of the greatest seasons of all-time from a catcher and is rapidly creeping up on Judge.
Entering Thursday, he was batting .277 with 32 home runs, 69 RBIs and a 1.040 OPS for the season. He is currently on pace to hit 66 home runs, 18 more than the record for a catcher set by Salvador Perez in 2021, when he hit 48.
Not only is Raleigh doing everything right at the plate, but he was also last season's platinum glove winner in the American League, and he is having another excellent season behind the dish.
Cal Raleigh:
- First switch-hitter EVER with 30+ HR before the All-Star break
- Fastest to 30 HR in a season (75 games) since Barry Bonds and Luis Gonzalez in 2001
- Joins Ken Griffey Jr. (3x) as the only Mariners players to hit 30+ HR before the All-Star break pic.twitter.com/S3UOjZrdDr — MLB (@MLB) June 21, 2025
Now, he is still well behind Judge's monster slash line of .361/.461/.719, and if the season were to end Thursday, it is clear that Judge would win the MVP in the AL, as showcased by his current -2000 odds via ESPNBET.
It can also be expected that Judge will go on one of his insane stretches again at some point this season and will once again widen the gap between he and Raleigh.
If he isn't able to do that and Raleigh can somewhat continue his stellar offensive production, the AL could have its first MVP won by a catcher since Joe Mauer in 2009.
More MLB: Red Sox Pushed To Trade Alex Bregman To Loaded AL Powerhouse
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