Cal Raleigh vs Aaron Judge: the American League MVP race goes to the wire

With just two games remaining in the 2025 Major League Baseball season, the race for the American League Most Valuable Player award is tighter than ever. The two frontrunners are Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners and Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees.

Raleigh has put together a historic campaign. He set the Mariners’ single-season home run record and delivered the best power-hitting year ever by a switch-hitter. Seattle currently tops the AL West standings.

The issue for Raleigh is his batting average. His candidacy rests almost entirely on his power numbers, especially the chance to challenge Judge’s single-season home run mark. The Mariners catcher has hit 60 homers with a .248 average, while Judge launched 62 in 2022 while batting .311.

If Raleigh does win, he would become just the 11th player in AL history to claim the MVP with a batting average under .250 – though the other 10 were pitchers, who were never expected to hit for average.

Aaron Judge chasing his third MVP

Beyond the raw home run total – and 52 is hardly a small number – Judge leads nearly every major statistical category. The Yankees’ No. 99 is the AL leader in WAR (9.2), runs scored (135), walks (124), batting average (.330), total bases (366) and OPS (1.145), among others.

The drawback for Judge is an injury layoff. He missed 10 games with a right flexor strain, while Raleigh, assuming he plays the final two, will have sat out just three – often appearing as the designated hitter when Mitch Garver caught behind the plate.

If Judge secures a third MVP, he would join a select group of legends with at least three wins: Barry Bonds (1990, ’92, ’93, 2001-04), Shohei Ohtani (2021, ’23, ’24), Mike Trout (2014, ’16, ’19), Albert Pujols (2005, ’08, ’09), Alex Rodríguez (2003, ’05, ’07), Mike Schmidt (1980, ’81, ’86), Mickey Mantle (1956, ’57, ’62), Yogi Berra (1951, ’54, ’55), Roy Campanella (1951, ’54, ’55), Stan Musial (1943, ’46, ’48), Joe DiMaggio (1939, ’41, ’47) and Jimmie Foxx (1932, ’33, ’38).

Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.

Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.