With Aaron Judge expected to be a DH initially when he returns from injury, the opportunity is there for Cal Raleigh to take over as the AL MVP favorite.

Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh has taken over as the American League MVP favorite with his closest rival, Aaron Judge, heading to the injured list. Raleigh hit home runs in consecutive games over the weekend to extend his major league lead to 41.

The American League MVP has been Aaron Judge’s to lose for pretty much the entire 2025 season. However, when he landed on the injured list over the weekend, the odds flipped in Cal Raleigh’s favor for the first time all year.