One is doing something no catcher has done before. And another is undoubtedly the most dominant hitter in MLB right now. “If I had a vote right now, I would go Aaron Judge and I would feel terrible about it,” Jeff Passan recently offered a level-headed take on the heated AL MVP debate between Aaron Judge and Cal Raleigh. But while we mostly talk about just these two, Passan recently weighed in on the voting process and the mindset of voters.

And they suggest Judge still has the inside track.

So, unless something wild happens, it looks like the reigning king could hold onto his throne a little longer. “I did talk with a friend who was voter yesterday, and he said something very interesting… Most of us who vote we take it really seriously,”  The Yankee Report cited Passan’s remark via the PatMcAfeeShow. After a small interruption from the host, saying not everyone takes voting seriously, Passan shed light on his message.

“…The person I was talking with was taking it very seriously to the point where he asked a lot of people who played the game, and who know the game, frankly, better than we’re going to. Because they are out there every day, because they experience it, because they face Aaron Judge, because they faced Cal Raleigh. And my friend said, every player he asked says Aaron Judge.” Passan seemed to have believed in what his friend mentioned, who votes regularly on MLB awards.

While Pat McAfee shared his fair share of doubt, talking about the bias of those players being a Yankee or a fan of the Bombers, Passan clarified that, too.

“No, this is also somebody who does not cover a team in the American League East… So, there’s no coastal bias going on!”

Do we dare take a step back and look at how deserving Captain America is!

The guy is leading just about every major offensive category, and as of Wednesday, he’s sitting on 51 homers. That’s the fourth time in his 10-year career he’s cracked 50. Then, add in a .328 BA that no one in either league looks close to touching, and a 9.3 WAR compared to Raleigh’s 7.2.

But that doesn’t mean Raleigh is any less; right now, he has a real shot at breaking Judge’s 2022 AL record of 62 home runs. Raleigh already holds the single-season homer record for a switch-hitter. And that he’s doing this as a catcher, a position that grinds players down physically, makes it all the more impressive. Plus, he’s leading the AL with 125 RBIs!

Still, according to Passan or his friend, voters haven’t exactly moved past Judge’s aura. And even with Raleigh’s historic power surge, it might not be enough to knock the Yankees’ star off his throne.

Judge’s consistency matters despite Raleigh’s demanding position

“If you really look at the numbers, I don’t think it’s close,” Yankees’ Giancarlo Stanton said about his teammate. True that, considering Aaron Judge’s consistency, there’s no one near him.

Judge this season is not only about monster stats, but he’s redefining what consistency looks like. As Passan pointed out, this isn’t a case of voter fatigue, but a genuine awe that Judge can keep dominating year after year.

With 133 runs scored this season, the weight of the Yankees’ offense on his shoulders, and his constant game-changing presence, it’s no wonder Passan and likely a lot of voters have a hard time looking past him.

Still, Passan did give Raleigh his due. “I think, habitually, as an industry, we have underrated and underappreciated catchers. And I think that’s in part of…not having the ability to objectively capture all of the things they do… It’s the injuries, the bruises, the bumps, all of the things that go along with being a catcher. And the fact that by the end of this season, as long as the Mariners are fighting for that home-field spot, and Cal Raleigh’s in the lineup, he’s going to have played 159 games. 159 GAMES at that position… It’s incredibly impressive what he’s done.”

Passan reflected on how catchers have to be confident about the hitters of the other teams and decide on “how they match up with the strengths and weaknesses you have on the mound.” That balance makes the person a reliable catcher. While doing so, Raleigh has hit 60 homers already. So, for Passan, it doesn’t really matter even if that streak “ends today.”

For catchers, the metrics can’t capture the full scope of their work. The pitch calling, the way they manage pitchers’ variations, and the split-second decisions against opposing hitters. That invisible workload doesn’t show up in WAR.

But when all is said and done, Judge might simply be too big, too dominant, to be knocked off his throne. But let’s hear it from you, too, now. Who is it for you – Judge or Raleigh?