Former Bulldog Aaron Judge wins AL MVP for third time in four years

For months, statement has swirled astir the American League Most Valuable Player Award.

Would the grant spell to New York Yankees close fielder Aaron Judge for the 3rd clip successful 4 years aft different bonzer violative season? Or would it spell to Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, who smashed his mode into the grounds books with 60 location runs?

In the end, voters chose Judge, who continued to cement his spot among baseball's all-time greats by becoming the 13th subordinate to triumph MVP 3 oregon much times. He joins Yogi Berra, Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle arsenic the lone Yankees to person accomplished that feat.

Judge finished up of Raleigh and Cleveland Guardians 3rd baseman Jose Ramirez connected Thursday successful voting conducted by the Baseball Writers Association of America.

Judge won the grant for the archetypal clip successful 2022 erstwhile helium cracked an American League-record 62 location runs. After a freak toed wounded derailed his 2023 season, helium registered 1 of the top seasons successful large league past successful 2024 for his 2nd MVP, slashing .322/.458/.701 with 58 location runs and 144 RBIs.

He followed that up with different sublime run successful 2025, though it was interrupted for 2 weeks by a stint connected the injured database with a flexor strain successful his close elbow.

It could beryllium argued that 2025 was, from commencement to finish, the champion play of Judge's career.

He won his archetypal batting rubric with a .331 mean -- 20 points amended than the remainder of the major-league pack. Judge clubbed 53 location runs to go the 4th subordinate ever with 4 seasons of astatine slightest 50 location runs portion passing Berra and DiMaggio for 4th connected the Yankees' all-time location tally list.

The 53 location runs were the astir ever for a batting champion. He led the majors successful OPS (1.144), wRC+ (204), and fWAR (10.1). He besides acceptable the AL grounds with 36 intentional walks.

Not included successful his MVP resume was the champion postseason of his career. Judge slashed .500/.581./.692 successful 31 sheet appearances successful the Yankees' abbreviated playoff showing. His game-tying three-run location tally disconnected the foul rod astatine Yankee Stadium successful Game 3 of the AL Division Series helped the Yankees temporarily stave disconnected elimination and punctuated a breakout postseason aft infamous October struggles successful different years.

Still missing from Judge's resume, however, is simply a World Series rubric arsenic the Yankees' rubric drought stretched to 16 years successful 2025. For now, Judge, present a three-time MVP winner, is the top Yankee ever without a World Series championship.

The Raleigh vs. Judge statement was the hottest contested MVP statement successful implicit a decade, arsenic some sluggers enactment unneurotic historical seasons. There was nary incorrect answer.

Raleigh, the switch-hitting catcher for the Seattle Mariners, became conscionable the seventh antithetic subordinate to deed 60 location runs successful a season. He shattered Salvador Perez's erstwhile people of 48 location runs by a superior catcher and soared past Mantle's grounds of 54 by a switch-hitter.

Raleigh deed .247/.359/.589 with 60 location runs, a league-leading 125 RBIs and 110 runs scored.