When it comes to the American League MVP, it seems like it is going to be Aaron Judge and then a distant crop of characters. What Judge is doing is sensational and what he is doing also is historic for hitters in this day and age. But it’s time to shift focus to other guys who have cases and could even go ahead and take Judge off the throne. One of the players that is making a very compelling case is none other than Cal Raleigh.

Can Cal Raleigh Win the MVP?

The race is on. The task at catching down Judge is a tall one, but not impossible. Judge has been one of the most valuable players in all of baseball, and as of today Judge has already surpassed 5 wins above replacement. Well guess what? Raleigh is right behind in that regard, notching up 3.7 wins above replacement and truly showcasing his value.

Not trying to compare the two from a positional standpoint, but Raleigh playing catcher is much tougher than the field and he is also hitting at a very high clip. Raleigh has gone on to surpass both Shohei Ohtani AND Judge to take the home run lead with 23 and has four home runs in his last three games.

As a hitter, Raleigh is hitting .264 with a 1.016 OPS and his 188 wRC+ is well above the rest of the pack. It’s really not often that you see catchers display these types of seasons, which is where we enter this true discussion.

When it comes to wins above replacement, the catcher with the highest in a single season was Mike Piazza (8.7), which he set in 1997 with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Raleigh has only played 58 games, so he very well could surpass that and at the very least meet that if he continues at the pace he is at.

From a hitting approach, Piazza has the highest OPS in a single season by a catcher (1.070). Given the trajectory that Raleigh is on, he clears that and very well could sustain that production. The highest batting average for a catcher was set by Cal McVey in 1877 with .368.

The one key thing, especially with the home runs is that Raleigh can set the record for the most home runs by a catcher in a single season. He’s already at 23 and is well on pace to have 64. The record was set by Salvador Perez in 2021 with 48. Sadly, Perez didn’t win MVP, as Ohtani won it unanimously, which feels like the future script for the 2025 season.

The best thing that Raleigh can do is win a platinum glove, pass Perez for the home run record, and aim to put together the best statistical hitting season we have seen from a catcher in quite some time.

At this given rate, he is doing just that, while also being one of the best catchers behind the dish as well. Raleigh ranks in the 75th percentile for blocks above average, and is in the 87th percentile for framing.

The guy does it all and if he truly can sustain this pace, there is a world where they go on and really give the MVP to a catcher. Baseball is that type of sport.