Buster Olney of ESPN Now Thinks Seattle Mariners' Cal Raleigh Can Win MVP Award

Several weeks ago, ESPN MLB Insider Buster Olney told the Refuse to Lose podcast that Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh couldn't win the American League MVP Award because it was a foregone conclusion that Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees would repeat as the winner of the award.

Well, this week, Olney has changed his tune, telling us that he thinks Raleigh absolutely CAN win the award and become the first Mariners player to win MVP since Ichiro Suzuki did in 2001.

Okay, ​can ​you ​go ​back ​and ​find ​those ​tapes ​where ​I ​told ​you ​that ​and ​just ​burn ​them? ​ ​Because ​I'm ​ready ​to ​take ​that ​off ​the ​table. ​I'm ​ready ​to sit ​here ​and ​go: 'You ​know ​I ​was ​wrong.' ​Cal ​Raleigh ​has ​now ​made ​this ​a ​fight, ​and ​made ​this ​an ​open ​competition ​because ​of ​what ​he's ​doing ​offensively, ​like ​to ​me, now it's a ​legitimate ​competition. ​It's Cal Raleigh vs. Judge ​for ​the ​American ​League ​MVP. ​Look, ​if ​you're ​a ​shortstop, ​or ​if ​you're ​a ​catcher, ​and ​you're ​having ​a ​great ​season, ​and ​you ​have ​defensive ​impact, ​and ​you're ​having ​a ​great ​season ​offensively, ​that ​puts ​you ​in ​a ​different ​category. ​As ​great ​as ​Judge ​is -- ​maybe ​the ​greatest ​right-handed ​hitter ​that ​we've ​ever ​seen -- ​and ​I ​know ​he's ​taken ​a ​step back ​in ​recent ​weeks, and ​his ​offensive ​numbers ​are ​coming ​down, but ​when ​you ​have ​a ​catcher ​like ​Cal ​Raleigh ​doing ​what ​he's ​doing, ​then ​he's ​going ​to ​be ​in ​consideration...

Entering play on Friday, Raleigh is leading the major leagues in home runs with 32. He's also got 69 RBIs and is hitting .275.

You can hear the full interview with Olney below: