It’s the hottest awards debate we’ve had in forever…
Cal Raleigh vs. Aaron Judge is the Major League Baseball awards debate to end all debates.
Judge, the defending and two-time Most Valuable Player, is seeking a third crown, and his offensive stats mostly trump Raleigh’s. But the Seattle Mariners catcher hit 12 more home runs than any other backstop has ever notched in a season while playing the game’s most grueling defensive position, and also matched Judge stride for stride in wins above replacement.
If you’re not a Mariners or a New York Yankees fan, it’s one of the toughest calls that’s ever had to be made. But Raleigh and Judge’s peers already made their call, and they’re arguably the most important source of information.
Raleigh beats out Judge for Players Choice Awards
On Wednesday, the MLB Players Association announced the winners of the 2025 Players Choice Awards, and Raleigh was given the Player of the Year and American League Outstanding Player honors over Judge.
“It was a record-setting season for Cal Raleigh, who rewrote the history books with his unprecedented power surge,” read the press release from the MLBPA. “Raleigh hit the most home runs in a single season by a Seattle Mariner, by a switch-hitter and by a catcher, while becoming the first Player to homer 20 or more times from both sides of the plate and winning the All-Star Game Home Run Derby.
“The North Carolina native led the league in homers and RBIs to go along with a stellar .948 OPS and elite defense behind the plate.”
We’re not going to rehash the statistical arguments for either player to win MVP here. Both sides have legitimate cases, and those who feel passionately one way or the other will be quick to not only discredit those arguments, but call the other side stupid for even suggesting their viewpoint.
However, even if there’s a bit of Judge fatigue involved, the fact that the players from the other 28 teams believe Raleigh was the best player in baseball this year has to count for an awful lot. They’re the ones with the best perspectives on how hard it is to do what each accomplished this season, and understandably, they’re giving the catcher the nod.
