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The New York Yankees are trying to win the American League East in the final three games of the season. Meanwhile, Aaron Judge is putting the final touches on his MVP case. Judge and Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners are seemingly neck and neck in the MVP race. Raleigh has put together one of the best catcher seasons ever. He entered Friday with 60 home runs and is threatening Judge’s American League record of 62. Both players have had stellar seasons, but Giancarlo Stanton thinks Judge is more deserving. “The race is fun to debate about and go back and forth about,” Stanton said on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM. “If you really look at the numbers, I don’t think it’s close. It is a fun race. He hit 60 (Wednesday). I think if you break down the numbers individually, Judge has got it. It’s not my choice, but obviously I’m with Judge and the numbers would back that up.” NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 25: Giancarlo Stanton #27 of the New York Yankees reacts after hitting a double during the game against the Chicago White Sox at Yankee Stadium on September 25, 2025 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) Stanton is an MVP Award winner himself. Judge is trying to win the award for a third time in his career, and Raleigh has certainly made it a debate. He leads all of baseball in home runs and leads the AL in RBI. Doing so as a catcher and playing an AL-best 120 games behind the plate is impressive. On the other hand, Judge leads baseball in WAR, batting average, on-base percentage and slugging. He also has an AL-best 123 walks. Defensively, Raleigh plays a tougher position and has played at an elite level. If Raleigh breaks Judge’s home run record, he would seemingly have a very strong case. However, Judge has also hit for power while also playing solid defense and has a better overall slash line. What Raleigh is doing should not be taken for granted. However, Stanton thinks Raleigh’s power surge is not impressive enough to overlook Judge’s overall numbers. More MLB: Yankees Praised for ‘Genius’ Move That Led to Turnaround
