Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh shouldn't win the 2025 AL MVP just because Aaron Judge has two in the bag already, both of which came in the last three years, according to MLB insider Ken Rosenthal.
Raleigh's MVP case is being led by the feeling that voters may have become fatigued in favor of the New York Yankees captain. They might want a new face, but Rosenthal believes the "Baseball Writers Association of America should judge each candidate solely on his merits."
Rosenthal said the same thing for the NL MVP race as well, where three-time MVP Shohei Ohtani is a top contender while Kyle Schwarber is coming out as a face to challenge the two-way star solely as a hitter. In the end, the insider believes:
"Performance, not narrative, must drive the discussion. If Raleigh and/or Schwarber prevail, it should be because of who they are, not who they aren’t. May the best men win."
Aaron Judge vs Cal Raleigh's AL MVP case
Both Judge and Raleigh are enjoying great seasons in their own right. Raleigh holds the chance to become the first catcher to win MVP after Buster Posey won it in 2012. Meanwhile, Judge continues to set new standards and remains the most fearsome hitter in the league.
Raleigh is hitting .244/.351/.587 slash line, leading the AL with 50 home runs, 158 wRC+ and 107 RBIs, all while playing catcher, which is very rare. Meanwhile, Judge has a superior slash line at .323/.439/.668, 193 wRC+ and 7.5 fWAR.
When it comes to defense, Raleigh is the Mariners' everyday catcher while Judge, though primarily an outfielder, has played DH several times this season.
In the latest MLB.com expert poll, Raleigh leads over Judge with 22 of 37 first-place votes.