Beyond the struggles the New York Yankees may be facing, Aaron Judge’s reign as the American League MVP is in jeopardy due to several factors, but primarily because of the remarkable season Cal Raleigh is having, making his own case with unprecedented numbers for a catcher.
Cal Raleigh challenges Aaron Judge’s dominance
Aaron Judge is the most important player for the Yankees, but the elbow injury he suffered could limit his chances in the MVP race. Still, his name remains one of the favorites for 2025.
According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, two stats-home runs and RBIs-are enough to make a case for Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, nicknamed Big Dumper, who is having a season unlike any other.
Heyman notes that he considered home runs an irrelevant stat during the 2017 MVP race between Houston Astros‘ second baseman José Altuve and Judge.
Raleigh‘s performance has been otherworldly, leading MLB with 47 home runs. Just one more home run would tie him with the record for most home runs by a catcher, set by Salvador Pérez in 2021.
Although Judge has fallen behind in this category due to his recent absence caused by a right flexor injury that has sidelined him for nearly a month, Raleigh can also boast surpassing him in games played, plate appearances, and stolen bases.
Even with his absences, Aaron Judge leads MLB with a .333 batting average, a .447 on-base percentage, a .687 slugging percentage, and a 1.134 OPS, topping the league in all these categories.
Aaron Judge is a phenomenal player, perhaps the second most important in all of MLB behind Shohei Ohtani, and when asked in mid-July if Raleigh was emerging as an MVP candidate, Judge was full of praise.
“That’s not my job, to talk about that,” Judge said, laughing at the question. “I’m just going to keep going out there, playing, and doing my thing. That’s what makes it fun, fun for the fans. You have someone like him doing his thing, leading the league in home runs and behind the plate-he’s a great catcher. He’s fun to watch, good for the game, and I look forward to seeing more of that in the second half.”
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