“I would never have said that… Aaron Judge has competition for the MVP race.” A few weeks ago, this statement sounded absurd. New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge has been having one of the most dominant offensive seasons in modern history, and the MVP race has felt like a coronation. But a respected voice in the game has now issued a warning, claiming that a true contender has risen to the occasion. And he’s not just with eye-popping numbers, but with a historic performance under uniquely difficult circumstances, creating a fascinating debate about what it truly means to be most valuable.

That competition comes from Seattle’s catcher Cal Raleigh. Known affectionately as the “Big Dumper,” Raleigh is on a record-setting home run pace. He became the first catcher in major league history to hit 20 homers before June and later surpassed the great Johnny Bench with 29 before the All-Star break. This torrid pace has put him in a position to do the unthinkable: challenge for 60 home runs in a season. Such a feat would not just be historic; it would obliterate the existing single-season record for home runs by a catcher, which stands at 48, set by Salvador Perez in 2021.

This is why former player and current MLB Network analyst Eduardo Perez issued a warning for Judge. He argues that the MVP conversation is no longer a one-man show. “Look, Aaron Judge has competition for the MVP race,” Perez stated firmly. Highlighting Raleigh’s incredible production from the catcher position, Perez added, “The power is there. The OPS plus right now is sitting at 200… This guy is putting up some serious stuff.”

Though he acknowledged Judge’s greatness, leading the MVP race this season, the analyst made it clear that Raleigh is closing the gap, declaring, “He’s catching, man, and he’s movin’ up quickly.”

But Perez’s argument for Raleigh goes far beyond just the home runs. He emphasized the immense difficulty of what the Mariners’ catcher is accomplishing. “What Cal Raleigh is doing in Seattle, the ballpark, the time difference, the travel difference, that is real when you play in Seattle,” Perez explained. He also pointed to “just the stress of being behind the plate, making sure that your pitchers are taken care of.” This crucial context reframes Raleigh’s season as a triumph over a unique set of obstacles that other candidates simply do not face.

Perez’s caution feels especially timely considering Judge’s recent struggles at the plate. In mid-June, the Yankees’ titan experienced a bitter roadblock. During one particularly rough seven-game stretch, Judge was batting just .125. he was 3 for 27 with 15 strikeouts, tanking his season average. The cold spell was so apparent that he even heard boos from the home crowd, a shocking turn of events in his otherwise dominant season.

While Judge’s recent struggles have opened the door for speculation, they also highlight how fiercely competitive the AL MVP race remains, especially as other candidates, like Raleigh, continue to build their own compelling cases.

Elite contenders in the AL MVP race

While Raleigh’s case grows stronger, history presents its own significant roadblock for the slugging catcher. In the long history of the MVP award, it’s been quite unusual for a catcher to win it. In the past 50 years, only three American League catchers have won the Most Valuable Player award: Thurman Munson of the Yankees in 1976, Iván “Pudge” Rodríguez of the Rangers in 1999, and Joe Mauer of the Twins in 2009.

And then there is the matter of Raleigh not being the only one chasing Judge; the American League is loaded with other elite contenders. Kansas City Royals shortstop

 is proving to be a true five-tool superstar. As the MVP runner-up in 2024, he remains as good as ever by mixing power and speed, and is on pace for another season of 20 home runs and 40 stolen bases.

The perennial M.V.P. contender José Ramírez is having another great season for the Cleveland Guardians. The third baseman owns a .323 batting average, a. 383 on-base percentage, and a .527 slugging percentage. His value, like Witt Jr.’s, is multi-dimensional; he has hit 13 home runs while also stealing 20 bases, making him one of the game’s most dynamic threats.

The field also includes hot prospects like Gunnar Henderson, a shortstop with the Baltimore Orioles, and Tarik Skubal, a pitcher with the Detroit Tigers. Henderson has backed up his Rookie of the Year campaign with another impressive all-around year, batting .281 with eight homers, 23 RBI, and nine stolen bases. In the meantime, Skubal is pacing the AL Cy Young race with a shining 2.06 ERA and an eye-popping strikeout-to-walk ratio of almost 10-to-1, looking very much like the league’s most valuable arm.