AL MVP race is heating up! Gabe Lacques from USA Today breaks down the epic showdown between Aaron Judge and Cal Raleigh. With Judge chasing a Triple Crown and Raleigh's historic pace as a catcher, who will claim the crown?

The second half of the 2025 MLB season is in full swing. And while the fast-approaching trade deadline is the focal point across the baseball world right now, the AL and NL award races will also start to become more of a talking point.

Raleigh leads in home runs, 35 to 33. The pair are tied in RBI, 74-74. Judge is batting .360 to Raleigh's .268 and leads in OPS, 1.202 to 1.021. The catcher Raleigh leads in steals, 9 to 6.

Cal Raleigh is having a generational season for a catcher, but Aaron Judge is still the best hitter in the AL. Can Raleigh win MVP?

New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge ran away with the American League MVP award last year after a stellar regular season.

The Yankees pivoted to Bellinger after missing out on Juan Soto in free agency, acquiring him from the Cubs in a low-risk, high-reward move. They sent right-hander Cody Poteet and cash considerations to Chicago and it’s already looking like one of Brian Cashman’s savviest trades in recent memory.

The Seattle Mariners won last night, 1-0, with their only run being a home run from catcher Cal Raleigh. They've certainly had others contribute on offense this season -- All-Star outfielder Randy Arozarena in particular deserves a quick shout of late -- but it sure feels like a 1-0 Mariners win with a Raleigh bomb sums things up for the contender at this juncture,

Mariners Star Could ‘Overtake’ Aaron Judge In AL MVP Race, Insider Says. Unlock the latest Seattle Mariners news — direct to your inbox. Subscribe with Google Subscribe with Facebook