Judge Raleigh Duel Defines AL MVP Race

The 2025 American League MVP race is a highly competitive showdown between New York Yankees' Aaron Judge and Seattle Mariners' Cal Raleigh. Raleigh, a catcher, is closing in on Judge's AL single-season home run record of 62, with 60 home runs so far, and has earned strong support from fellow catchers like Salvador Perez for his defensive and offensive contributions. Judge leads in multiple statistical categories including batting average, on-base percentage, slugging, and WAR, and has a reputation that causes opposing teams to frequently intentionally walk him. Both players have significantly contributed to their teams' playoff pushes, with the Mariners clinching the AL West and the Yankees fighting for the AL East lead. Despite the intense competition and historical significance of their performances, neither player stands to gain a financial bonus from winning the MVP due to their existing contracts. Analysts and experts agree that while Raleigh's historic season is impressive, Judge's more complete and consistent performance makes the MVP decision a difficult but closely contested one.