Heated AL MVP debate has Yankees fans fuming over apparent Aaron Judge disrespect

It seems the rest of the baseball world has forgotten that Aaron Judge exists. The New York Yankees slugger spent minimal time on the IL due to a flexor strain in his right elbow, but that seems to be all it took for the baseball world at large to forget just how amazing his season has been.

That's to take nothing away from his chief competitor, Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, AKA The Big Dumper. However, the idea that Raleigh is now the odds-on favorite to win the AL MVP Award has Yankee fans foaming at the mouth.

Raleigh will make history in his own right in 2025. The switch-hitter is just one homer shy of tying Salvador Perez's record for most single-season homers hit by a catcher, a mark he should shatter given how many games remain. That will be an amazing feat, for sure, but the numbers show he's still no match for Judge.

Yankees fans take to social media to prove that Aaron Judge should be the clear-cut AL MVP favorite

While Raleigh's power surge has impressed, let's not forget that Judge is no slouch in that department in his own right. But there's more to being a feared hitter than simply crushing dingers.

A side-by-side comparison shows just how lopsided this debate really is. Raleigh's power is massive, but he's also batting just .249 on the season. That's a far cry from Judge, who, while he no longer will hit .400, is otherworldly with his ability to mash and hit for contact.

One of the most overlooked parts of this entire debate is that Judge's on-base percentage of .447 is nearly 100 points higher than the good-but-not-great .355 mark that Raleigh has posted on the season. Home runs aside, there's really no comparison offensively.

However, there's another annoying angle this debate has taken that needs to be called out more for its lunacy. Some claim that the real offensive disparity between the two stars should be offset, and then some, based on Raleigh's defensive prowess at catcher, the game's most physically demanding position.

Raleigh may have won a Platinum Glove last year for his work behind the plate, but this year, his defensive performance has been a long way from that lofty achievement. Catcher defensive metrics are always a little murky, but Raleigh has been below-average at blocking with a -1 blocking run value, though his pitch framing and arm run values both grade out in the positive, according to Statcast. Still, his defensive run value of five this season isn't close to the 15 he put up last year.

Not all the metrics agree that Raleigh has been a net-positive, however. By Defensive Runs Saved, he's been one of the lower-ranked catchers, posting a -2 mark. That contrasts starkly with his defensive run value performance, making it safe to say that he's been about average, maybe slightly above, behind the plate this season.

Judge might not play the field again this season, though that is very much dependent on who you ask. When he is in right field, he's better than average (two DRS and two OAA). That might not be Gold Glove worthy, but it's certainly notable for his MVP case when combining all factors.

At the end of the day, those clamoring for Raleigh to win the award are holding on to the fact that he's a catcher as the sole argument. After all, you can't seriously believe a .249 hitter is better than a .333 one. Nor can you actually claim that Raleigh's the better slugger when Judge has nearly a 100 point lead, .687 to .593, in slugging percentange.

Barring an epic September swoon, Judge is your AL MVP, as Yankee fans have been telling the world all along.