Mariners’ Cal Raleigh earns 'MVP!' chants with something Aaron Judge could never do

Division Series - Detroit Tigers v Seattle Mariners - Game Two | Steph Chambers/GettyImagesIf Cal Raleigh ends up winning the 2025 American League MVP over Aaron Judge, it will be primarily because he homered 60 times, drove in 125 runs and had a .948 OPS. If he doesn't, it'll be because the voters either ignored or downplayed the whole "And he did it as a catcher!" thing.

But here's the thing about the catcher thing: There are two unspoken words in that statement, and they are "defensively gifted."

Mariners fans know this well, and now everyone else has a better idea after what Raleigh did to preserve a 1-0 Mariners lead over the Detroit Tigers in Game 5 of the American League Division…