In only three days, we’re about to find out the winner of the much-anticipated American League MVP award. While Mariners’ Cal Raleigh put together a historic season, belting 60 home runs, many still viewed Aaron Judge as the more complete player and the frontrunner for his third MVP Award. The ultimatum lies in the hands of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA), which voted after the conclusion of the regular season. Judge, Raleigh, and Guardians star José Ramírez were named as the three finalists. Who will the writers eventually pick?

Pinestripe Territory’s Derek Levandowski recently broke down the 2025 MVP race. And let’s just say, he has the ultimatum already.

“I want Aaron Judge to win, but there is a serious case to be made for Cal Raleigh, who had an unbelievable season. So I want to take an objective look…. It’s going to come down to Aaron Judge versus Cal Raleigh. And it’s weird. Cal Raleigh beat Aaron Judge in the one category that you would expect Aaron Judge to win every year. Home runs.”

That’s actually true. Aaron Judge has been the game’s premier home run hitter for the better part of a decade. His 53 homers this season were nothing short of outstanding, but Cal Raleigh’s 60 home runs are on another level, especially considering he did it as a catcher. That’s a position not typically known for that kind of power.

“It’s just a very demanding position physically. You’re wearing all that gear. You’re squatting for nine innings, getting worn out by passed balls and foul tips and balls in the dirt and blocking. It’s a very difficult position to put up offensive numbers,” Levandowski added.

The last record for home runs set by a catcher was 48 by Salvador Perez. But this season, the big dumper shattered that with 60 home runs. “Although I believe Aaron Judge had a more complete season, I think that the voters are going to find a way to give it to Cal Raleigh,” Levandowski said.

And when it comes to Judge, he has turned in one of the best seasons of his career, hitting .331 to become the tallest batting champion in MLB history. He batted 84 points higher than Cal Raleigh, finishing with seven fewer home runs but a significantly higher OPS: 1.145 compared to Raleigh’s .948.

Raleigh did edge Judge in RBIs, 125 to 114, but both put together exceptional, MVP-caliber seasons. However, for Levandowski, even with his Yankees allegiance, he believes Cal Raleigh will take home this season’s AL MVP title.

Why did Aaron Judge have a more ‘complete season’ than Cal Raleigh?

New York Yankees star Aaron Judge is fresh off another outstanding season. He appeared in 152 games and led all hitters with a .331/.457/.688 slash line. Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh also just wrapped up one of the most remarkable seasons ever by a player at his position. The slight edge, however, might go to Raleigh this time, but win or lose the MVP, Judge is almost certain to add another Silver Slugger Award to his collection.

It was announced this Friday that Aaron Judge had captured his fifth Silver Slugger Award. That ties him alongside Derek Jeter, Robinson Cano, Jorge Posada, and Dave Winfield. Aaron Judge has delivered yet another historic campaign in 2025. He had a .331 batting average with 53 home runs, 114 RBIs, and a 1.144 OPS.

To top it all off, he captured his first career batting title while leading all of MLB in batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage. And now, Aaron Judge has earned back-to-back Silver Slugger Awards and four in the past five seasons. Being one of the game’s most reliable power hitters, Aaron Judge shows no signs of slowing down heading into 2026.

As the Yankees aim to return to the World Series, he’ll once again be a player to watch. But for that, the Yankees will need to make key upgrades this offseason to ensure they’re playing meaningful baseball in October.