Mariners’ Cal Raleigh crushed his 50th homer on Monday. And according to MLB.com’s latest MVP poll, he’s now jumped ahead of reigning MVP Aaron Judge. Well, Judge has been slowed by injuries this year, missing time and mostly serving as a DH since August. Whereas Raleigh just keeps launching balls out of the park. The switch-hitting catcher is batting .247, well shy of Judge’s average. But he leads the league in homers and is on pace to hit 60 this season.

However, at this point, Raleigh’s hot streak isn’t exactly surprising. But what is surprising is that Judge just keeps slipping in the MVP race. Reports say he’s no longer the top name even inside the Yankees clubhouse. Why?

Yankees’ own Cody Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton are reportedly ahead of Judge in the MVP race.

“Realize this is blasphemy to Judge fans, but right now, as we’re into the nitty gritty of the races, Judge is No. 3 MVP on the Yankees alone behind Stanton and Bellinger,” MLB insider Bill Madden said.

Yes, it might sound wild, but the numbers back it up that Aaron Judge is actually trailing Stanton and Bellinger right now! Just look at the Yankees’ last 10 games, and you will get the picture.

Stanton has been on fire, batting .464 with 13 hits, 6 homers, 15 RBIs, and 8 runs scored. Bellinger’s right there too, hitting .333 with 13 hits, 2 homers, 9 RBIs, and 6 runs. Judge, on the other hand, is batting just .222 with 8 hits, 2 homers, 4 RBIs, and 8 runs over that same stretch.

Hence, the gap in batting average alone shows how far behind he’s fallen, and the obvious culprit is his injury.

Before landing on the IL, Judge was tearing it up, hitting .342 with 37 HRs and 85 RBIs in 103 games. But since coming back, though, he just hasn’t looked like the same MVP-caliber force. And all of this is happening right as Raleigh is making his own MVP push.

Raleigh’s power-hitting is proving costly for Aaron Judge

“Cal Raleigh is a great guy and a great ambassador for the game,” Aaron Judge said about Raleigh. “I love watching him do his thing.” Surely, what Raleigh is showing this season is worth loving, irrespective of the teams.

Notably, Raleigh kept his incredible 2025 season rolling on Monday, blasting his 50th home run of the year. With that swing, the 28-year-old broke a few odd records…

He became the first player this season to hit 50, and the first catcher in MLB history to ever reach that mark. Moreover, he’s just the second Mariner to do it, joining none other than Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. And there’s more….

Raleigh also etched his name alongside a legend, becoming only the second switch-hitter in league history to hit 50 in a season. The first since Mickey Mantle pulled it off back in 1956 and 1961.

And what makes it even more special is the pace. Raleigh is the first player since Aaron Judge to reach 50 before September, after Judge’s historic runs in 2022 and 2024. In contrast, Judge, slowed by an elbow injury in late July, is still sitting on 40 homers.

So what’s next for Raleigh?

With about 30 games left, he’s on pace for just over 60 homers. That’s good enough to take a serious run at Judge’s AL record of 62. Yes, Barry Bonds’ 73 is probably out of reach. But Raleigh’s surge has already put him squarely in the conversation for AL MVP.