Yankees' Aaron Judge edges out Mariners' Cal Raleigh to win third MVP in four years

The race for the 2025 American League MVP award was a hot topic of debate as New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge and Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh had a strong case to take home the hardware.

In the end, Judge won the MVP award in a close race, his third in the last four years and his second consecutive as he received 17 first-place votes. Raleigh finished second, receiving 13 first-place votes, while Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez finished a distant third.

Judge became the 13th player in MLB history to win three or more MVP awards, as he joined fellow 2025 MVP Shohei Ohtani in that group. He is the fourth Yankee to win three MVP awards, joining Joe DiMaggio (1939, 1941 and 1947), Yogi Berra (1951, 1954 and 1955) and Mickey Mantle (1956, 1957 and 1962).

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge continues to solidify his place among MLB legends

Judge had a fantastic year for the Yankees, leading the majors with 10.1 bWAR. He led the majors in all three triple slash categories, posting a .331/.457/.688 batting line over 679 plate appearances, hitting 53 homers and 30 doubles while stealing 12 bases. 

He was far more than just a fearsome slugger in the Yankees lineup. Judge saved eight runs in right, tied for fourth in the AL with Rays outfielder Josh Lowe. His stellar all-around performance was a key factor in the Yankees reaching the postseason.

The Yankees face significant uncertainty entering the offseason. Outfielder Cody Bellinger, who was acquired to hit behind Judge in the lineup, is a free agent. The Yankees could be looking for a Robin to Judge's Batman for the third consecutive offseason. Despite the uncertainty in the lineup, the Yankees have one constant: Judge's dominance.