Contrary to Popular Opinion: The MLB MVP's are...

AL

When you think of Cal, you may first think of the state that has wildfires, political opposition to the president, or a place that some say will inevitably fall into the Pacific Ocean after a massive earthquake.

When you think of Raleigh, the first thing that may pop in your mind is the capital of North Carolina. Or if you’re a real historian, you may conjure up images of Sir Walter Raleigh, who was of significant importance to the colonization of the New World.

But combine them together, and if you’re a baseball fan, you know how damn good this MLB season was for Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners.

By the Numbers:

Statistics are absolutely huge when making a decision as to who will win the MVP award, and that’s certainly understandable. Numbers inherently matter in the voting process, as they should. So, let’s do a little breakdown of Cal Raleigh’s numbers in 2025.

The 5th-year catcher for the Mariners batted just .247. That’s not impressive, I know. But that doesn’t tell the story. He slammed an MLB-best 60 home runs. He drove in 125 runs, good for the most in the American League. His .589 slugging percentage was 3rd among all major leaguers, behind a guy named Aaron Judge, and another named Shohei Ohtani– you might have heard of those two players. His .948 OPS numbers were also good for the 3rd most in all of baseball.  He crossed the plate (and we’re about to get to his plate management shortly) 110 times, good for 2nd in the AL. Pretty eye-popping stats, especially for a player who is only in his 4th full season in the majors.

Aaron Judge:

Aaron Judge put up some monster numbers, yet again, in 2025. Despite missing 10 games with an injury, Judge led the majors in batting at .331. His slugging percentage of .688 was also an MLB high. He scored 137 times, 2nd in baseball behind Ohtani. No one can dispute this legend in the making. And I am as huge a Yankees fan as anyone. My favorite all-time baseball player is another Yankee, Don Mattingly. He’s not only my hero, but someone who did some wonderfully benevolent things for me personally. Aaron Judge will likely not supplant Mattingly on my status chart of all-time faves in the game, but he’s certainly trying to make a case for it.

So, if you want to argue that Judge should win another MVP award, and go back-to-back in doing so, I’m not going to die on the hill fighting against that contention. Judge is fortunate to play in New York, as big a market as there is. Along with Boston and Philadelphia, the spotlight is on in the Big Apple. TV time is huge for the east coast teams. The hours that games are played also give a guy like Judge more prominence to more viewers. Raleigh is relegated to playing in Seattle, where most people on the east don’t stay up until 1:00am to watch his exploits. Only ardent fans of the game may peruse the sports section to see what Raleigh might have accomplished in a game the night before.

Positional Importance:

Again, I love Aaron Judge. He is a true ambassador of the game. We never hear about off-the-field issues, no arguing about his place in the lineup, no DUIs, no trouble whatsoever. This behemoth from Gotham does it the right way, with class and integrity. And that’s simply awesome.

But…in trying to sell you on who should win the AL MVP award, I’ll throw this at you. Judge accounted for 2.68 putouts per game this season, according to espn.com. His involvement in the field pales in comparison to what Raleigh is asked to do. Raleigh is in on every batter, be it base hit, ground out, sac fly, or other. He’s asked to call pitches, manage a mound staff, and shift the defense into a better position for a particular hitter. There’s so much more cerebrally that is demanded of Raleigh. 

A catcher’s role is a huge undertaking, and Raleigh does it well. His .996 fielding percentage was 3rd best among AL catchers who played a full season in 2025. His 1,060 putouts ranked him 2nd in the AL among catchers. According to Rotowire, Raleigh is the third best defensive catcher (it is a mystery how he is not a gold glove finalist after winning the Platinum Glove last year). Judge is not in the top 20.

 He stayed in for the entire game 116 times, tops the American League. While on the surface, that last number may not seem to be all that big a deal. But, breaking it down into layman’s terms, it means Raleigh was trusted by the Mariners coaching staff to remain in the game. Maybe it’s because he calls a great game. Maybe the staff doesn’t want to take him out for a pinch-hitter. Raleigh does bat from both sides of the plate, which makes him invaluable regardless of what specialty reliever is brought into any game. Maybe Raleigh is just that good. Whatever the reason, he wore the tools of ignorance (catcher’s gear) more than any catcher in the majors.

Final Thoughts:

Aaron Judge is not going to simply fade into the sunset and acquiesce to Cal Raleigh as the game’s most important player, and nor should he. If Judge can stay healthy, he’s a surefire Hall of Famer the day he becomes eligible. He’s insanely incredible. That’s undisputed. But, for this year, one in which saw Raleigh be an instrumental piece of a team that made the postseason for just the second time in the past 24 years, this author believes the sports writers will rally for Raleigh, and will crown him the Most Valuable Player in the American League.

NL

As the World Series starts to appear in the rearview mirror we start to think about the MLB award season. Across the myriads of awards, there are very few clear-cut winners. Maybe Tarik Skubal for American League MVP seems wrapped up.

But one award seems clear.  A player who has done amazing things with the bat, has the respect of all major league baseball, and drives fear across all National League pitchers. I am, of course, talking about Kyle Schwarber.

Yes, there is a certain amount of sarcasm in that statement. As of this writing, a guy named Ohtani is having a postseason for the ages, at least at Dodgers stadium and he seems destined for World Series MVP. But the MVP award is for the regular season and Schwarbs has my vote.

By the Numbers         

Statistically, Schwarber had a fantastic year. He led the National League in home runs, with 56, and he led the MLB with 132 RBI’s. He is a top 15 in OBP and fourth in slugging behind Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, and Cal Raleigh. Pretty good company. In OPS, same story, it is Judge Ohtani, George Springer, Raleigh, and Schwarber.

He is basically a Top 5 hitter in MLB.

But why, if Ohtani has a higher slug and higher OPS, would Schwarber beat him for the MVP?

Because RBI’s still matter. Schwarber is about as clutch of a player as there is in baseball. Home runs always seem to come at the right time (and go a major distance). Need a sacrifice fly? You got it. Clutch double, not a problem. He even won the All-Star game for the National League in the Home run-off at the end of the game.

Runs win ball games, RBI’s are what generates runs, and Schwarber is the best in the business at it. Most Valuable Player means that the guy is driving wins for a team. This isn’t to say that Ohtani is not important to the Dodgers, but Schwarber is the most important offensive weapon for a division leading team like the Phillies.

Leadership Matters

The MVP voting is always an accumulation of hardcore stats, but the word Valuable has many meanings in baseball and Schwarber has been extending the definitions for years.

Teammate Bryson Stott told ESPN, “He picks you up when you're down. I don't know what it is, honestly. Just a nice person and wants the best for everybody.”

Schwarber’s mentorship of young hitters and a general leader in the Phillies clubhouse makes him stand out pretty much among leaders across the league. Leadership takes on numerous different forms and Schwarber uses a combination of work ethic and humor to get it done.

Former Phillies infielder Jean Segura told ESPN, “I've never seen a guy with that mentality, the way he has it. He is our leader. The way he supports teammates whether he's going good or bad. He's just the same person."

Famously, when he was out for most of the World Series winning season with the Cubs in 2016, he fought to get back on the field by “living in the cage”. He just stood in front of pitching machines to get his timing and eye back. He hasn’t ditched that work habit since then.

"He'll take the young guys out every day and get them on the curveball machine," Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. "He makes them feel comfortable. He makes them feel wanted. Helps them out.”

Phillies rookie, Otto Kemp, mentioned to Fox Sports that his self-deprecating sense of humor makes him very approachable, "He’s a guy that’s really good at making fun of himself, which makes it a little easier to talk to him. He’s a perfectionist, but no ego.”

Schwarber told Fox that making teammates feel comfortable is “the most important part of a winning culture.” It just happens," Schwarber explained. "Being able to be approachable and being able to have good listening capabilities is also more important than just being able to spew it out…if someone’s got something, you want them to feel like they’re getting whatever they have to say off their mind, whatever it is. That might be way more valuable than you talking."  

And there is that little word again…winning.

Final Thoughts

It is very difficult to beat Ohtani for MVP, especially when he is pitching and hitting well at the same time. See the MLB postseason for an example what that looks like. When Ohtani is hitting multiple home runs in a game, containing opponents with an ERA under 3, and piling on pitching strikeouts, it is clear he is the top player in the game. He is the only guy doing that type of thing.

Does that mean that if he plays, he wins the MVP because he is unique? No. This year, in the regular season, he didn’t pitch much. He was good in his 47 innings, but he was mostly working his way back from Tommy John. And he was mostly the second-best DH in the National League, right behind Schwarber.

Schwarber’s combination of on field success mixed with clubhouse leadership redefines what it means to be the Most Valuable.