Overview

• Aaron Judge enters the last two games leading the AL in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging, OPS and WAR and is positioned to claim his first batting title.
• Cal Raleigh has reached 60 home runs, the first catcher ever to do so, with roughly 120 starts behind the plate while helping Seattle clinch the AL West.
• BBWAA voters describe a split between valuing Judge’s comprehensive production and Raleigh’s unprecedented power plus catcher workload, with some acknowledging possible voter fatigue with Judge.
• Public voices have lined up behind Judge’s case, including Yankees manager Aaron Boone calling him the clear-cut MVP, Giancarlo Stanton citing the numbers in his favor, and Jayson Stark projecting Judge to win.
• Both the Yankees and Mariners are set for October, with New York vying for AL East positioning and Seattle locked into the postseason as ballots near.