The baseball world will find out who is in charge of the American League MVP race on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET. Aaron Judge and Cal Raleigh both had seasons that were so good that they will be remembered for a long time. But only one of them will get the trophy.

Judge wants something really special: a third MVP award that would make him only the fourth Yankee to do so. Raleigh, on the other hand, is trying to become the first Mariner to win MVP since Ichiro Suzuki did it in 2001. Two legends, two legacies in the works, and only a few moments left until we find out who wins.

Aaron Judge 2025 Season vs. Career Stats

Aaron Judge had one of his best seasons in 2025. Judge has been nearly impossible to stop at the plate, hitting 53 home runs and a scorching .331 average in 541 at-bats. He has 179 hits, 114 runs batted in, and 137 runs scored. What really stands out? His slugging percentage was .688, and his on-base percentage was .457, which shows that he’s not just hitting home runs. Judge is getting on base and hitting for power in ways that keep fans on the edge of their seats.

Judge has been great throughout his career, hitting 368 home runs and posting a .615 slugging percentage overall, but 2025 is different. His 9.7 WAR this season is splendid, and his OPS of 1.144 puts him in an elite group of players. The OPS+ of 215 says it all: Judge’s numbers are 115% better than the league average. That’s the kind of dominance that makes people talk about MVPs and makes seasons legendary.

Cal Raleigh 2025 Season vs. Career Stats

Cal Raleigh is putting together a strong campaign for 2025 that shows real growth from where he started in his career.

His WAR this season is 7.4, which is a huge drop from his career high of 18.8. And don’t forget what that means for a catcher who has to do a lot of work.

Raleigh has a .247 batting average in 596 at-bats in 2025, better than his career average of .226, indicating he’s hitting the ball better when it counts. He has hit 60 home runs this year, bringing his career total to 153. He has also gotten 147 hits and driven in 125 runs. Those bases that were stolen? He only has 14 this season and 21 in his career, but that’s normal for a guy whose main job is to catch.

This is what is really impressive, though.

Raleigh’s OPS of .948 in 2025 is a vast improvement over his career OPS of .798. His .359 on-base percentage and 110 runs scored show that he gets on base at an elite level. His career .484 slugging percentage improved to .589 this season, and his 169 OPS+ is way better than his career 127. This shows that he is playing at a historically great level. Raleigh is making a strong case for himself as one of baseball’s best catchers by playing great defense and hitting with real power.

Aaron Judge vs. Cal Raleigh: Side-by-Side Comparison

Aaron Judge is having the kind of season that reminds you why he’s one of the most famous bats in baseball. His .331 average is definitely better than Cal Raleigh’s .247. But this is where it gets crazy.

Raleigh has hit 60 home runs, which is more than Judge’s 53, and he’s also driven in more runs, with 125 RBIs to Judge’s 114. Then again, Judge’s 1.144 OPS blows Raleigh’s .948 out of the water, showing that he is an elite producer.

When you look more closely, the MVP race gets tight.

Judge’s 210 OPS+ is much higher than Raleigh’s 172, showing that he’s hitting at a historically high rate. Their fWAR numbers are close, though, with Judge at 9.6 and the other at 9.1, but Judge is getting better at all aspects of offense.

Raleigh stole 14 bases, which is almost the same as Judge’s 12, showing that speed isn’t the key factor here. But numbers may not reflect the work that Raleigh puts into being a catcher and a hitter.

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Prediction — Who Has the Edge for the 2025 AL MVP?

Aaron Judge seems to be the clear favorite to win the MVP award, and the numbers show it. Most voters think he is better than Cal Raleigh and José Ramírez because he is stronger offensively across the board. Judge destroyed both WAR calculations, making him the complete package that MVP voters love.

Yet, there’s no doubt that Raleigh’s 60-homer season is a historic achievement for a catcher.

But here’s the thing: when you compare Judge to the other candidates, his overall greatness wins out. He’s playing at the highest level in every category – average, power, OPS, and defensive value – while also having more WAR than his closest competitors. Meanwhile, Cal Raleigh is running the MVP race while showing his magic behind the plate, too.

Guess we need to wait a little more to end this debate for 2025.