Aaron Judge had another amazing season, but the baseball world is watching as the Mariners’ $105M star Cal Raleigh’s historic campaign threatens to overshadow the Yankees slugger’s greatness. Judge won the batting triple crown of rate stats by hitting.331, getting on base .457, and slugging.688 while hitting 53 home runs. But Raleigh’s record-breaking 60-homer season as a catcher has changed the story in a way that few people saw coming.

Bradford Doolittle, an ESPN analyst, gave the surprising verdict that shakes up the MVP race. Doolittle chose Raleigh as his MVP pick, even though his own AXE rating system clearly favored Judge (164 to 150). The numbers tell one story, but Doolittle is choosing his gut over the stats.

Doolittle emphasized the historical weight behind his decision: “Raleigh’s 60-homer season is the stuff of science fiction when viewed through the lens of what’s expected from everyday catchers.”

Judge’s statistical dominance earned him his fifth Silver Slugger award, tying Yankees legends Derek Jeter and Dave Winfield. He had the most RBIs in the league with 114, which gave him his first batting title. Doolittle, on the other hand, asserts that Raleigh’s achievement surpasses normal measures. The Mariners’ catcher broke Salvador Perez’s record of 48 home runs by a primary catcher, which many people thought was impossible to break. Even more impressively, he broke Mickey Mantle’s 69-year-old record for home runs hit by a switch-hitter.

The analyst agreed that Judge was better at advanced metrics, but he also pointed out that Raleigh was both Seattle’s first AL West title in 24 years and the team’s clubhouse leader. Raleigh had 125 RBIs and a .948 OPS while playing behind the plate for 159 games, which is a lot of work. This makes his offensive production even better than just the numbers.

Aaron Judge knows this script too well; the numbers tell one story, but the voters write another. He hit 53 home runs and drove in 114 runs, which gave him the best batting average (.331), on-base percentage (.457), and slugging percentage (.688). Doolittle’s own numbers show that Judge is better, 164 to 150. But Raleigh’s 60 home runs from behind the plate while leading Seattle to its first division title in 24 years made for a championship story that Judge’s stats couldn’t match. It was better than even the most famous individual achievements in history.

But while Cal Raleigh’s MVP candidacy is making headlines, Seattle has roster problems that go beyond awards season.

Mariners roster moves continue as Aaron Judge awaits MVP verdict

This year, the Mariners put together a championship-caliber team. They fought their way through the AL West standings to win the division title from Houston in a memorable stretch run. Their pitchers were among the best in baseball all season, which set the stage for Raleigh’s historic offensive explosion that could now overshadow Judge’s great season.

Seattle’s aggression went beyond the regular-season roster. Before the trade deadline, the front office committed to winning by getting Eugenio Suárez and Josh Naylor. These experienced players were added to help the team make a strong push for the playoffs. Both players made important contributions, but they will both be free agents this winter. The Mariners must make important decisions about which key players to retain and which to release.

The problems with the roster started early when veteran pitcher Casey Lawrence chose to become a free agent instead of going back to Seattle. The 38-year-old journeyman played for the Mariners twice over five major league seasons, but instead of staying with them, he decided to see what else was out there. His choice adds another item to Seattle’s to-do list for the offseason.

Lawrence has a hard time getting another MLB contract. His 65 career games gave him a 6.42 ERA, which isn’t very good. Teams usually sign pitchers like Lawrence when they need to fill in for injured players, not as top priorities. Seattle won’t miss him, and because of his age and past work history, it will be very hard for Lawrence to find another job this winter.