It’s the hottest topic in Major League Baseball.
With less than one week remaining in the regular season… What do Cal Raleigh and Aaron Judge still need to do to make their cases stronger to win the American League MVP award?
Starting with Judge, he entered Monday leading the majors in batting average (.326), on-base percentage (.451), slugging (.672), OPS+ (209) and fWAR (9.2). The right fielder also leads the A.L. in runs scored (130) and walks (117). His overall offensive production is a notch above everyone else in the big leagues.
Plus, Judge is on track to record an OPS+ of 200 or more for the third time in four seasons. No other player has reached that mark even once since Barry Bonds in 2004.
As for Raleigh, whose MVP case is gaining momentum every time he steps up to the plate, he entered Monday leading the majors in home runs (58) and leading the A.L. in RBI (121). That’s two-thirds of the batting triple crown. The switch-hitting catcher’s batting average (.247) is ranked 43rd in the A.L. His OBP (.360) is ranked seventh. His slugging (.589), OPS+ (169), and fWAR (8.8) are all ranked second, behind Judge.
MVP voters typically consider how a player’s performance impacts his team’s success, and the Mariners’ recent divisional rise, and ensuing expected playoff berth, is a strong argument for Raleigh.
Especially now that Raleigh’s Mariners helped slay the dragon that is the Houston Astros, placing Seattle in line to win the AL West, it’s worth thinking about whether he’s already done enough to win MVP. Raleigh’s value for the M’s has been undeniable.
How can baseball writers justify not giving Raleigh an MVP vote when this season he set the record for:
- Most home runs by a catcher (previously Salvador Perez with 48 HRs in 2021)
- Most home runs by a switch hitter (prev. Mickey Mantle with 54 HRs in 1961)
- Most home runs as a Mariner (prev. Ken Griffey Jr. with 56 HRs in 1997 and ‘98)
Now, Raleigh needs just four home runs to match Judge’s 2023 record for most homers in the American League in a single season. If Raleigh mashes home run No. 62 (or even surpasses Judge with No. 63), then it’s easier to see him receiving the majority of MVP votes.
Of course, Raleigh’s defensive contributions make up a significant portion of his value and MVP case. His performance at the plate, as a backstop, brings to mind the days of Johnny Bench (two-time MVP and Hall of Famer), Carlton Fisk (HOF), Thurman Munson (MVP), and Ted Simmons (HOF).
(Photo by Leslie Plaza Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
FanGraphs’ WAR already takes into account his value behind the plate, and Raleigh is graded as a fine defensive catcher. He’s also caught the most innings and appeared in the most games as a catcher in the A.L. Raleigh has handled the most demanding position on the field by having a monster year that included winning this year’s Home Run Derby at Atlanta’s All-Star Game, and not even that exhausting performance slowed him down in the rest of the season.
The Yankees still have the AL East to play for, too. If Judge has a spectacular week (against the White Sox and the Orioles, in the Bronx, no less) and helps the Bombers pass the Blue Jays for the division title, that would certainly make his MVP case stronger.
So, stay tuned. The AL MVP race is already tight, but all of these factors can help decide the award in the span of six remaining games.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Mike Trout, OF, Los Angeles Angels
(Photo by Kyle Cooper/Colorado Rockies/Getty Images)
The three-time MVP has managed to stay healthy for most of the year, logging his most games played since 2019, but there’s no denying that Trout is no longer the dominant player he once was. That’s why it was extra special when, on Saturday night at Coors Field, the 11-time All-Star reminded us of his brilliance on the baseball diamond.
Trout slugged his 400th career home run in the Angels’ 3-0 win over the Rockies. The ball traveled an estimated 485 feet to the left-center-field bleachers, marking his 22nd home run of the season.
“I’m just happy it’s over,” Trout told reporters after the game. “I’m enjoying it, obviously. My buddies back home and my family back in (New) Jersey can stop texting me to make the 400 (club).”
Giancarlo Stanton, OF/DH, New York Yankees
(Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)
Speaking of home-run clubs … Stanton crushed his 450th career homer in New York’s 6-1 victory in Baltimore on Saturday. The Yankees slugger became the fifth-fastest player ever to reach 450 home runs, with only Mark McGwire, Babe Ruth, Alex Rodriguez, and Harmon Killebrew having achieved it quicker.
And now that 450 is behind him, which stands as the most by an active player, Stanton has his eyes on 500. If the 35-year-old can stay healthy these next few years, it’s possible Stanton can join the coveted 500 club (and make a strong case for the Hall of Fame, in the process) by the 2027 or 2028 season.
“I’m a lot of swings away from 500,” Stanton told reporters at Camden Yards. “Of course, you think about it. You understand that if you bear down, that I’m capable of doing it. It’s just one at a time, and that’s all I can do.”
LOOKING AHEAD
The storyline I’m most interested in watching in the final week of the regular season is whether the $341-million Mets can qualify for the playoffs. As of Monday, they are no longer in the postseason, having slow-played a historic collapse since the middle of summer that has allowed the Reds to take possession of the final National League wild card spot. The Diamondbacks, too, are only one game behind the Reds and Mets for the final wild card. This has been an astonishing disintegration for a talented Mets team that’s running out of time to sneak into October.
Deesha Thosar covers Major League Baseball as a reporter and columnist for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.
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