Cal Raleigh finished second in the 2025 American League MVP race, losing to Aaron Judge. Raleigh led MLB in home runs and RBIs, setting historic offensive records for a catcher.
He hit 60 home runs, surpassing previous catcher MVPs and breaking Mickey Mantle's switch-hitter record, while also driving in 125 runs. Despite Judge's strong offensive season, the argument for Raleigh centers on his all-around value.
The MVP award considers both offense and defense, and Raleigh's defensive contributions as a catcher, including no passed balls and significant time behind the plate compared to Judge's DH appearances, made him the more valuable player. This dual threat of unprecedented offensive production from a catcher coupled with strong defense should have made Raleigh the MVP.
