Aug 11, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees designated hitter Aaron Judge (99) reacts after striking out during the fifth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Yankees Superstar Has Competition for MVP

Originally posted on New York Yankees on SI
By Erin Shapland | Last updated Aug 19, 2025 3:00 PM ET

Reigning AL MVP and New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge is recovering from an elbow injury, but he's still out ahead of the next guy for the 2025 title in most major stats.

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post , two numbers — home runs and RBIs — are sufficient to make the case for Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, aka Big Dumper, who is having an exciting breakout season as a hitter and a catcher.

Fairly, the Big Dumper is the AL MVP leader at the moment. Can never count out Aaron Judge, an alltime great, but a great defensive catcher with the MLB HR and RBI lead is a compelling case.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) August 18, 2025

Comments on Heyman's post insist that he cited home runs as an irrelevant stat back in the 2017 MVP race between Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve, who won it that year, and Judge. No one has yet cited a source from Heyman in 2017.

When Altuve took MVP away from Judge in 2017, Jon Heyman said home runs didn’t matter.

Home runs are now his ENTIRE case as to why Cal Raleigh should win MVP over Aaron Judge.

Make it make sense.
— MADS ⚾️ (@mdestefano14) August 18, 2025

Raleigh's performance this season has been extraordinary regardless, as he continues to lead the MLB in home runs with 47. With just one more, he will match the current record for home runs by a catcher in a single season, set by Salvador Perez in 2021. Judge has fallen behind significantly on that front, given his brief absence due to a recent right flexor strain, which has plagued him for nearly a month. Raleigh now leads him in games played, plate appearances and stolen bases as well. Still, Judge leads the MLB with a .333 batting average, .447 on-base percentage, .687 slugging percentage and 1.134 on-base plus slugging. Leads the league in all of them.

Downplayed Judge’s home runs in the 2017 MVP race in favor of Altuve’s batting avg.

Now the script is flipped when Raleigh leads in HR and RBI, yet Judge leads in pretty much everything else (by a long shot).

Nice consistency, Jon. pic.twitter.com/ppmW5uoZ0u
— Jacob P.M. (@JacobBSpeaks) August 18, 2025

Judge's superhuman abilities place him in a category all his own, but the injury has limited him to designated hitter, and if it continues to limit him, this really might be a race. For the time being though, it's a no-brainer. That being said, Judge and Raleigh aren't taking the contest too seriously — they're more interested in playing baseball. When asked whether Raleigh was making a case for himself back in mid-July, Judge was nothing but complimentary.

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

"That's not my job to talk about," Judge said, laughing at the question. "I'm just going to keep going out there and doing my thing. That's what makes it fun, it makes it fun for the fans. You got somebody like him going out there and doing his thing, leading the league in homers, and behind the plate — he's a backstop back there. It's fun to watch, it's good for the game, and I'm looking forward to more of that in the second half."

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