Aaron Judge Winning 2025 AL MVP Award Leaves Fans Divided: “Cal Raleigh Robbed”

Aaron Judge claimed his 3rd MVP, his second consecutive, after receiving 17 first-place votes by the members of the BBWAA.

Aaron Judge Winning 2025 AL MVP Award Leaves Fans Divided: “Cal Raleigh Robbed”

Aaron Judge (Image via X/@YankeesMuse)

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For a second year running, Aaron Judge is the king of the American League. On Thursday, the New York Yankees captain was announced as the 2025 American League MVP. His win left MLB fans on social media in splits.

Judge, who won the 2024 AL MVP unanimously, faced tough competition this year. Seattle Mariners’ catcher Cal Raleigh was on his heels for a long time.

Raleigh had an impressive 2025 campaign, showcasing his slugging power. The 28-year-old broke several records along the way as he finished the season with a league-leading 60 home runs.

He became the first catcher to win the Home Run Derby and hit 50 home runs in a regular season. He then went on to break Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr.‘s franchise record of 56 home runs. With him leading the line, the Mariners went on to claim their first AL West title since 2001.

Meanwhile, Judge started off the season from where he left off the previous season. The Yankees star smashed 3 home runs in just the 2nd game of the season. Despite an injury that ruled him out for some time and forced him to take the designated hitter (DH) role, Judge continued slugging.

After Shohei Ohtani became the first player to hit 50 or more runs in back-to-back seasons, after Alex Rodriguez in 2002, Judge joined him. The American international marked his 4th 50 or more home run season this year as he finished with 53 home runs.

Both Judge and Raleigh suffered postseason heartbreak at the hands of the Toronto Blue Jays. The Yankees lost the American League Division Series (ALDS) 3-1. The Mariners, on the other hand, let a 2-0 and 3-2 lead slip and lost in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series (ALCS).

In a tight race for the honor, Judge edged past Raleigh. He received 17 first-place votes to claim his 3rd MVP title.

Raleigh, meanwhile, received 13 first place votes. This saw him finish as the runner-up. Cleveland Guardians’ Jose Ramirez received 19 third-place votes and came 3rd in this MVP race.

Social media reacts to Aaron Judge winning 2025 AL MVP Award

Aaron Judge repeated as the American League MVP on Thursday. The 7-time All-Star edged out Cal Raleigh to go back-to-back and remain on top.

Aaron Judge
Aaron Judge (Image via X/@mlbtraderumors)

His win left the MLB fans divided. While some celebrated his triumph, some claimed that Raleigh was snubbed out of the accolade. One user wrote, “Cal Raleigh robbed” while making their feelings known.

Check out that and some other reactions from X below:

Judge’s triumph on Thursday was the 23rd time a Yankees star had won the MVP award. He joins club greats, Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra and Mickey Mantle as the 4th Yankee to win 3 MVP titles.

Aaron Judge willing to trade away all honors for World Series ring

Aaron Judge joined an exclusive MLB club as he claimed his 3rd MVP title on Thursday. The 33-year-old later claimed that he was willing to trade away all of his honors in exchange for a World Series ring.

Aaron Judge
Aaron Judge (Image via MLB)

While Judge has won several awards, the one thing that has eluded him is the World Series crown. In 2024, the Yankees reached their first World Series since 2009. However, they got dominated by the Los Angeles Dodgers and lost the series in Game 5.

That game saw Judge go from hero to zero. After hitting his first home run of the World Series in the first inning, he made a massive fielding error in the fifth inning. His catch drop sparked the comeback of the Dodgers, who were 5-0 down at that point.

The Dodgers emerged as 7-6 winners and took down the Yankees. That dropped catch has become a massive dark spot in Judge’s historic career.

I think I’d trade every award I’ve gotten and every All-Star appearance for an opportunity to win a championship. That’s my main focus. That’s why I wake up every day.

Aaron Judge said as per Bryan Hoch

This year, the Yankees lost in the ALDS against the Blue Jays. Their World Series drought now stretches up to 16 years, the second-longest drought in their franchise history. He and many Yankees fans will be hoping 2026 to be the year where they climb the top of the mountain again.

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