Sep 24, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) celebrates his solo home run against the Chicago White Sox with teammates in the dugout during the eighth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Aaron Judge Vs. Shohei Ohtani Vs. Cal Raleigh: Who's MLB's MVP?

Originally posted on Fastball on SI | By Zach Pressnell | Last updated Sep 26, 2025 6:43 PM ET

MLB is loaded with talent this season. There are multiple superstars putting together incredible seasons.

The American League MVP race is down to Seattle Mariners slugger Cal Raleigh and New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge. It's one of the more competitive races in recent MLB history. The National League MVP race is seemingly locked up, as Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani is set to walk away with the award for the second straight season.

Let's talk about hypotheticals now. If there was a league wide MVP award, who would it go to? Ohtani, Judge, and Raleigh all have a solid case to make.

Making the case for Cal Raleigh

Making the case for Raleigh is quite simple.

He's the league leader in home runs with 60 on the season. There's a chance he clubs three more over the final three games of the season and breaks Judge's AL record with 63 home runs in a single season. And he's done it while catching 120-plus games.

Not only has he played the most important position on the field, but he's done it at a high level. Raleigh hasn't been an elite defender this year, but the fact that he's broken the single season home run record for catchers, switch hitters, and Mariners is a huge statement.

Making the case for Shohei Ohtani

Ohtani's case is simple, too. He's the best hitter in the NL and has also thrown over 40 innings on the mound. The ability to hit over 50 home runs and pitch at a high level is almost unheard of. The only knock on Ohtani is his lack of innings, which is reasonable after coming off Tommy John surgery.

Still, his unique ability makes him a unicorn in baseball. He's slashed .280/.391/.619 with 54 home runs, 101 RBIs, and 144 runs scored. He's been worth 7.5 WAR on the season, with 1.1 of it coming as a pitcher. If Ohtani would have thrown 140 innings instead of 40, he would be the clear league MVP.

Making the case for Aaron Judge

Judge's case might be the most difficult to get into for the average fan. He doesn't have the home runs that Raleigh does, though 51 home runs is nothing to gloss over. He's also not a pitcher like Ohtani.

But he's been the clear top bat in baseball. He's slashing .330/.457/.683 with 123 walks, 35 intentional walks, 134 runs scored, and 51 home runs. He's the league leader in almost all important offensive categories, including batting average and OPS. He's been worth nearly 10 WAR on the season, too.

The Yankees' slugger has been the best player in baseball. He should win the AL MVP award, but a league MVP award would be a bit tougher to judge.

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This article first appeared on Fastball on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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