BREAKING: BEYOND THE HOME RUNS THE ANALYTICS SECRETS THAT GAVE JUDGE THE EDGE OVER CAL RALEIGH IN THE 2025 MVP RACE.C1

The 2025 MLB awards season came to an exciting finish on Thursday night with the announcement of the American League and National League MVP winners. While last year’s AL MVP race was a one-sided affair with Aaron Judge winning unanimously, this year’s contest was far closer. In the end, the New York Yankees captain edged out Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh to secure his second straight MVP honor, taking home 17 first-place votes compared to Raleigh’s 13.

Both players delivered incredible seasons that will be remembered for years to come. Aaron Judge continued his dominance at the plate, while Raleigh made history with a record-breaking hitting. Raleigh crushed 60 home runs, setting both a Mariners record and a new single-season record for an MLB catcher. He also drove in 125 RBIs while anchoring Seattle’s pitching staff and helping the team stay in the playoff hunt until the final week.

Aaron Judge, meanwhile, hit .331 with 53 homers, 114 RBIs, and a 1.144 OPS, putting together another monster campaign despite missing seven games due to an elbow injury in late July.

Aaron Judge And Cal Raleigh’s 2025 Season Numbers

Many fans believe Raleigh was robbed of the honours, considering the impact he made in powering the Mariners to their first ALCS since 2001. However, the stats tell a different story. The Yankees superstar was statistically superior to Raleigh in 17 major categories, including batting average, on-base percentage, and WAR. Even with fewer games played, Judge’s overall production and consistency stood out. His 10.1 fWAR and 9.7 bWAR led the majors, showing how valuable he was on both sides of the ball.

Raleigh wasn’t far behind with 9.1 fWAR and 7.4 bWAR, but Judge’s impact in clutch moments and ability to carry the Yankees’ offense in big series separated him. Raleigh had the power edge with 60 homers, but Judge’s balance of power, contact, and plate discipline gave him the statistical edge, including a .457 OBP compared to Raleigh’s .359.

To cap off his stellar year, Judge also took home the AL Hank Aaron Award and earned a spot on the All-MLB First Team (OF).

While it was tough luck for Raleigh after his record-breaking season, Aaron Judge ultimately proved to be a deserving winner of the AL MVP award.