Mariners’ Cal Raleigh earns 'MVP!' chants with something Aaron Judge could never do

If Cal Raleigh ends up winning the 2025 American League MVP over Aaron Judge, it will be primarily because he homered 60 times, drove in 125 runs and had a .948 OPS. If he doesn't, it'll be because the voters either ignored or downplayed the whole "And he did it as a catcher!" thing.

But here's the thing about the catcher thing: There are two unspoken words in that statement, and they are "defensively gifted."

Mariners fans know this well, and now everyone else has a better idea after what Raleigh did to preserve a 1-0 Mariners lead over the Detroit Tigers in Game 5 of the American League Division Series. Between its velocity and accuracy, his throw to second base to nab Colt Keith stealing to end the fourth inning is pure excellence:

The original call on the field was safe, but the Mariners challenged and the replay clearly showed that Raleigh's throw found J.P. Crawford's mitt in a perfect spot to tag Keith on the leg. The crowd was already chanting "MVP!" by the time the call was overturned.

Cal Raleigh's defensive excellence on full display in ALDS Game 5

This is a taste of how Raleigh won both a Gold Glove and a Platinum Glove in 2024, when he led the majors with 32 caught-stealings and racked up plus-17 Defensive Runs Saved. He was also the best framer in the American League, posting 13 Framing Runs.

Raleigh wasn't quite as effective behind the dish this season, with his caught-stealing rate falling from 28.3 to 21.2 and his Defensive Runs Saved finishing at a mere plus-2. Because he played in 159 total games and took 46 more plate appearances than any other catcher, you naturally wonder if fatigue was a factor.

As noted by ESPN's Buster Olney, however, some rival evaluators have noticed that Raleigh has looked refreshed in the playoffs. It sure looks like this is the case, as he also came into Game 5 batting .438 for the Division Series even before he added a sparkling defensive highlight to his reel.

Of course, none of this has any bearing on the AL MVP voting. The voters have already submitted their ballots, which only count the regular season. As Judge racked up 9.7 rWAR to Raleigh's 7.3 rWAR, it won't be surprising if he collects enough support to win his third MVP.

Nobody is going to dispute that Raleigh was the more valuable defender, however, especially after Judge was limited by an elbow injury in the latter half of the year. And if that proves to be the difference in an upset for Raleigh when the AL MVP is announced, Mariners fans will gain the right to say, "See, told you so."