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3h ago

MLB Exec Straw Poll Nudges AL MVP Edge to Cal Raleigh Over Aaron Judge

Voters are weighing Aaron Judge’s league-best rate metrics against Cal Raleigh’s record power from the catcher position.

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Overview

  • An MLB.com survey of 14 front-office executives broke 7–6 for Raleigh with one tie, a non-official snapshot ahead of BBWAA ballots after the regular season.
  • Raleigh leads the AL with 56 home runs and 118 RBIs and has set single-season marks for a primary catcher and for switch-hitters, with evaluators also citing his defensive impact.
  • Judge continues to top major rate categories and WAR on league leaderboards and has 48 home runs and 100-plus RBIs despite a July elbow injury that pushed him to designated hitter for much of the second half.
  • Seattle’s three-game set in Houston this weekend, with the AL West deadlocked, is viewed by some as a stage that could further bolster Raleigh’s case.
  • Opinions remain split between positional value and pure performance, as Yankees bench coach Brad Ausmus argues the race is "not close" in Judge’s favor and observers note MVP ties are exceedingly rare, last occurring in 1979.