{"id":117117,"date":"2025-11-04T08:31:17","date_gmt":"2025-11-04T08:31:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=117117"},"modified":"2025-11-04T08:31:17","modified_gmt":"2025-11-04T08:31:17","slug":"pinstripe-reality-check-ignites-mariners-fans-erupted-after-cal-raleighs-latest-hardware-but-baseballs-true-mvp-standard-doesnt-bend-for-one-hot-moment-not-when","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=117117","title":{"rendered":"PINSTRIPE REALITY CHECK IGNITES: Mariners fans erupted after Cal Raleigh\u2019s latest hardware, but baseball\u2019s true MVP standard doesn\u2019t bend for one hot moment \u2014 not when Aaron Judge still owns pressure, presence, and the pulse of October. Raleigh might be a spark right now, sure, but Judge is the supernova who shifts stadium gravity, flips games on command, and carries a franchise like it\u2019s stitched into his DNA. In the arena where legends breathe fire and championships are forged, there\u2019s only one giant in pinstripes\u2026ll"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Oct 20, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) celebrates in the dugout after scoring against the Toronto Blue Jays in the fifth inning during game seven of the ALCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images \/ John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n

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Cal Raleigh vs. Aaron Judge is the Major League Baseball awards debate to end all debates.<\/p>\n

Judge, the defending and two-time Most Valuable Player, is seeking a third crown, and his offensive stats mostly trump Raleigh\u2019s. But the Seattle Mariners catcher hit 12 more home runs than any other backstop has ever notched in a season while playing the game\u2019s most grueling defensive position, and also matched Judge stride for stride in wins above replacement.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re not a Mariners or a New York Yankees fan, it\u2019s one of the toughest calls that\u2019s ever had to be made. But Raleigh and Judge\u2019s peers already made their call, and they\u2019re arguably the most important source of information.<\/p>\n

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\"Cal<\/picture><\/figure>\n

Jul 10, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe (11) scores the game winning run against Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) on a sacrifice fly by Yankees designated hitter Aaron Judge (not pictured) during the tenth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images \/ Brad Penner-Imagn Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

On Wednesday, the MLB Players Association\u00a0announced the winners\u00a0of the 2025 Players Choice Awards, and Raleigh was given the Player of the Year and American League Outstanding Player honors over Judge.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a record-setting season for Cal Raleigh, who rewrote the history books with his unprecedented power surge,\u201d read the press release from the MLBPA. \u201cRaleigh hit the most home runs in a single season by a Seattle Mariner, by a switch-hitter and by a catcher, while becoming the first Player to homer 20 or more times from both sides of the plate and winning the All-Star Game Home Run Derby.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe North Carolina native led the league in homers and RBIs to go along with a stellar .948 OPS and elite defense behind the plate.\u201d<\/p>\n

We\u2019re not going to rehash the statistical arguments for either player to win MVP here. Both sides have legitimate cases, and those who feel passionately one way or the other will be quick to not only discredit those arguments, but call the other side stupid for even suggesting their viewpoint.<\/p>\n

However, even if there\u2019s a bit of Judge fatigue involved, the fact that the players from the other 28 teams believe Raleigh was the best player in baseball this year has to count for an awful lot. They\u2019re the ones with the best perspectives on how hard it is to do what each accomplished this season, and understandably, they\u2019re giving the catcher the nod.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Oct 20, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) celebrates in the dugout after scoring against the Toronto Blue Jays in the fifth inning during game seven of the ALCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images \/ John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":117120,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-117117","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\nPINSTRIPE REALITY CHECK IGNITES: Mariners fans erupted after Cal Raleigh\u2019s latest hardware, but baseball\u2019s true MVP standard doesn\u2019t bend for one hot moment \u2014 not when Aaron Judge still owns pressure, presence, and the pulse of October. Raleigh might be a spark right now, sure, but Judge is the supernova who shifts stadium gravity, flips games on command, and carries a franchise like it\u2019s stitched into his DNA. In the arena where legends breathe fire and championships are forged, there\u2019s only one giant in pinstripes\u2026ll - News 365<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=117117\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"PINSTRIPE REALITY CHECK IGNITES: Mariners fans erupted after Cal Raleigh\u2019s latest hardware, but baseball\u2019s true MVP standard doesn\u2019t bend for one hot moment \u2014 not when Aaron Judge still owns pressure, presence, and the pulse of October. Raleigh might be a spark right now, sure, but Judge is the supernova who shifts stadium gravity, flips games on command, and carries a franchise like it\u2019s stitched into his DNA. In the arena where legends breathe fire and championships are forged, there\u2019s only one giant in pinstripes\u2026ll - News 365\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Oct 20, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) celebrates in the dugout after scoring against the Toronto Blue Jays in the fifth inning during game seven of the ALCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images \/ John E. 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