In one of the most compelling and closely contested MVP races in modern history, New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge has been named the 2025 American League Most Valuable Player, narrowly defeating Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh.
The vote, announced Thursday by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA), was a true photo finish. Judge received 17 first-place votes and 355 total points, just edging out Raleigh’s 13 first-place votes and 335 points.
It was the closest AL MVP vote since 2019, when Mike Trout also won by a 17-13 first-place vote margin.The ballots confirmed the season-long narrative: Judge and Raleigh were the only two players named on every ballot, finishing first or second on all 30.
This marks the third MVP award of Judge’s career (2022, 2024, 2025) and his second consecutive, placing him in the elite Yankees pantheon alongside Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, and Mickey Mantle as the only players in franchise history to win the award three or more times.
A Classic Debate: All-Around Dominance vs. Historic Power
The “ultra-tight” vote was the result of a classic baseball debate, pitting one of the most dominant all-around offensive seasons in a generation against a historic, record-shattering power display.
- The Case for Aaron Judge (The Winner): Judge, 33, was an analytical juggernaut. He led the American League in almost every major rate-based category, including batting average (.331), on-base percentage (.457), slugging percentage (.688), and OPS (1.144). He also hit 53 home runs, drove in 114, and led all of MLB in Wins Above Replacement (WAR).
- The Case for Cal Raleigh (The Runner-Up): Raleigh, 28, produced a season for the history books. His 60 home runs not only led the majors but also shattered the single-season record for both a catcher (surpassing Johnny Bench’s 45) and a switch-hitter (surpassing Mickey Mantle’s 54). He did this while leading the AL with 125 RBIs and playing the most physically demanding position on the field.
In the end, the voters narrowly favored Judge’s all-encompassing dominance at the plate over Raleigh’s unprecedented power milestone from the catcher position.
2025 AL MVP Top 2 Voting
| Player | 1st Place | 2nd Place | Total Points |
| Aaron Judge | 17 | 13 | 355 |
| Cal Raleigh | 13 | 17 | 335 |
