Surging Cal Raleigh is forcing his way past stagnant Aaron Judge in AL MVP race

If you’re still picking your jaw up off the floor after Cal Raleigh launched his fourth home run in as many games — bringing his season total to a league-leading 32 — welcome to the party.

The Seattle Mariners’ switch-hitting backstop isn’t just having a breakout year. He’s authoring one of the greatest offensive seasons a catcher has ever put together. And if voters are paying attention, this MVP race isn’t a runaway for Aaron Judge anymore.

Let’s be clear, Raleigh is no longer just the best-hitting catcher in baseball. He’s become one of the most impactful players in the sport, full stop. He’s on pace to obliterate his career-high 34 home runs set last season, and is threatening one of the most ridiculous marks in the modern catching era: Salvador Perez’s 48 homers in 2021, the all-time single-season record for a primary catcher. 

It’s time to admit Cal Raleigh deserves to lead the AL MVP race

Seattle fans have known what they had in Raleigh for years. They’ve stood by him through growing pains, inconsistencies, and the unrelenting physical toll of the position. They were mocked when they said he was one of the most valuable players in baseball. Now, that loyalty is being validated in real time. He’s making a legitimate MVP case, and voters would be foolish to ignore it.

Let’s talk numbers between Raleigh and the obvious AL front runner, Judge. First, the season line:

• Aaron Judge: .367/.468/.734 | 28 HR | 62 RBI
• Cal Raleigh: .278/.383/.665 | 32 HR | 68 RBI

On paper, Judge still holds the edge in slash line. But that’s only where the story begins, not ends. Because context matters in this case. Raleigh plays the game’s most physically and mentally demanding position, calling pitches, controlling the running game, blocking balls in the dirt, and managing an ever-rotating group of young Mariners arms.

Judge? He stands in right field and hits, whereas Raleigh's workload is intricate and hands-on the majority of the time.

Now take a look at the month of June, when MVP races first start to heat up:

• Judge in June: .274/.404/.603 | 7 HR | 12 RBI
• Raleigh in June: .316/.388/.763 | 10 HR | 24 RBI

Not only is Raleigh out-hitting Judge in raw production, he’s doing it while catching almost every day. He’s sat out of the lineup just one game all season. The workload, the consistency, the power — it’s all historic.

Is Judge still having a phenomenal season? Of course. But his pace has flattened. Meanwhile, Raleigh is putting his foot on the gas — and doing it from a position that historically gets penalized by voters who don’t appreciate the full picture.

So here’s the argument. Cal Raleigh isn’t just compiling numbers. He’s redefining the standard for what an MVP catcher can look like in the modern game of baseball. And if he continues anywhere near this current pace, leading a playoff hopeful Mariners team while rewriting offensive records for his position, it shouldn’t be close.

And the scary part? He’s yet to slow down.