{"id":4420,"date":"2025-11-14T02:07:05","date_gmt":"2025-11-14T02:07:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/aaron-judge-3rd-al-mvp\/"},"modified":"2025-11-14T02:07:05","modified_gmt":"2025-11-14T02:07:05","slug":"aaron-judge-3rd-al-mvp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/aaron-judge-3rd-al-mvp\/","title":{"rendered":"Yankees\u2019 Aaron Judge wins tight race to take home his third AL MVP, and second in a row &#8211; BBWAA"},"content":{"rendered":"<article>\n<h2>Lead<\/h2>\n<p>Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees has been named the 2025 American League Most Valuable Player, claiming his third career AL MVP and his second consecutive award after a razor-thin vote against Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh. Judge received 17 first-place votes to Raleigh\u2019s 13, the smallest margin in an AL race since 2019. The balloting was conducted by the Baseball Writers\u2019 Association of America and completed before the postseason, using the established point system for ranked ballots. The result cements Judge among the small group of players with three or more MVP trophies.<\/p>\n<h2>Key takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Aaron Judge won the 2025 AL MVP with a 17\u2011to\u201113 advantage in first\u2011place votes over Cal Raleigh.<\/li>\n<li>This is Judge\u2019s second straight AL MVP and his third overall, making him the 13th player with at least three MVPs.<\/li>\n<li>The margin was the closest since 2019 (Mike Trout over Alex Bregman by the same first\u2011place margin).<\/li>\n<li>Judge, Raleigh, Jos\u00e9 Ram\u00edrez and Bobby Witt Jr. appeared on every BBWAA ballot this year.<\/li>\n<li>The Yankees now have 23 BBWAA MVP winners \u2014 the most of any franchise dating to 1931.<\/li>\n<li>Ballots were cast by two writers in each league city and tallied with a points system that gives 14 points for a first\u2011place vote, 9 for second, 8 for third down to 1 for tenth.<\/li>\n<li>Judge\u2019s 2025 award marks the 20th instance of back\u2011to\u2011back MVP winners in BBWAA history.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Background<\/h2>\n<p>The BBWAA MVP has been awarded since the 1930s and is decided by local beat writers representing each league city. In 2025, voting again followed the longtime BBWAA format: two voters per city submit ranked ballots prior to postseason play, and a weighted points system converts those rankings into the final standings. That method produces outcomes that reward both dominance on individual ballots and widespread placement across ballots.<\/p>\n<p>Aaron Judge first won the AL MVP in 2022 and added another in 2024; his 2025 victory places him among elite multiple\u2011winner company. Historically, only a handful of players have reached three or more MVPs \u2014 names listed across both leagues include Jimmie Foxx, Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, Alex Rodriguez, Mike Trout in the AL, and Stan Musial, Mike Schmidt and Albert Pujols in the NL, among others. Barry Bonds holds the overall record with seven MVPs in the National League.<\/p>\n<h2>Main event<\/h2>\n<p>The vote concluded with Judge earning 17 first\u2011place votes and Cal Raleigh taking 13. That first\u2011place margin made this the tightest AL MVP decision since the 2019 race, which also finished with a 17\u201113 split for firsts. Although first\u2011place tallies were narrow, the overall points tabulation under the BBWAA system produced the official ranking that awarded Judge the trophy.<\/p>\n<p>Judge\u2019s third MVP is also notable for positional context: he has been primarily a right fielder in 2025 after winning earlier awards while listed largely as a center fielder. The award is the 23rd MVP in franchise history for the New York Yankees, the highest total for any single club in BBWAA voting since 1931. For the Mariners, Raleigh\u2019s runner\u2011up finish is the third time a Seattle player finished second in BBWAA MVP voting.<\/p>\n<p>Jos\u00e9 Ram\u00edrez of Cleveland finished third in the voting, mirroring his third\u2011place showings from 2017 and 2018; he was previously the runner\u2011up in 2020. Bobby Witt Jr. and other regulars rounded out the top tier and, like Judge and Raleigh, appeared on every ballot. Ballots were submitted ahead of postseason play and compiled according to the points scheme that assigns 14 points for first place, 9 for second and then 8 through 1 for third through tenth.<\/p>\n<h2>Analysis &#038; implications<\/h2>\n<p>Judge\u2019s consecutive awards strengthen his case for long\u2011term recognition \u2014 Hall of Fame consideration and legacy discussion will now factor in three MVPs and multiple peak seasons. Historically, getting three MVPs places a player in a distinct elite category; while Hall voting considers more than awards alone, repeated MVP honors are a major credential. For the Yankees, the trophy underscores the club\u2019s continued ability to feature marquee, award\u2011winning performers.<\/p>\n<p>For the Mariners and Cal Raleigh, the runner\u2011up finish highlights Seattle\u2019s rising profile in individual awards voting and the value of Raleigh\u2019s season behind the plate. A close second in MVP voting can raise a player\u2019s market stature and solidify his standing within the franchise, even if it does not carry the same historical cachet as winning.<\/p>\n<p>At the league level, the narrow result illustrates how voter preferences and ballot placement shape outcomes more than a single statistic. The BBWAA system balances concentrated first\u2011place support with broad multi\u2011ballot recognition; as a result, marginal differences in where players land on many ballots can determine the winner in tight races. That dynamic repeatedly surfaces in modern MVP debates and will shape how candidates are presented to voters in coming seasons.<\/p>\n<h2>Comparison &#038; data<\/h2>\n<figure>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Player<\/th>\n<th>First\u2011place votes<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Aaron Judge (Yankees)<\/td>\n<td>17<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Cal Raleigh (Mariners)<\/td>\n<td>13<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Other notable multi\u2011ballot players (Ram\u00edrez, Witt Jr.)<\/td>\n<td>Named on every ballot<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n<p>This summary table focuses on the clearest numeric takeaway from the release: the 17\u201313 split in first\u2011place votes. The BBWAA point conversion (14 for first, 9 for second, 8\u20131 for subsequent places) produces the final point totals but can mask how close first\u2011place votes were between top candidates.<\/p>\n<h2>Reactions &#038; quotes<\/h2>\n<p>Official and public reactions were immediate in the hours after the BBWAA published results. The BBWAA release spelled out the balloting process and timing, underscoring the procedural basis for the outcome.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;Ballots, submitted before the postseason, were cast by two writers in each league city.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><cite>BBWAA (official release)<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;They are tabulated on a system that rewards 14 points for first place, nine for second, eight for third on down to one for 10th.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><cite>BBWAA (official release)<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2>\n<aside>Explainer \/ Glossary<\/aside>\n<\/h2>\n<aside>\n<details>\n<summary>How BBWAA MVP voting works<\/summary>\n<p>The Baseball Writers\u2019 Association of America (BBWAA) asks two qualified writers in each league city to submit a ranked ballot of their top ten choices before the playoffs begin. Each ranking converts to points: 14 for a first\u2011place vote, 9 for second, 8 for third, and then 7 through 1 for fourth through tenth. Totals across all ballots determine the winner. Because ballots are submitted prior to postseason performance, voters base choices solely on regular\u2011season play. This process has been used for decades and is the standard for official BBWAA MVP results.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/aside>\n<h2>Unconfirmed<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Any immediate effect of Judge\u2019s award on contract negotiations or team payroll plans has not been confirmed by the Yankees and remains speculative.<\/li>\n<li>Claims that the close margin will prompt a change in BBWAA voting rules are unverified; no formal proposals have been announced.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Bottom line<\/h2>\n<p>Aaron Judge\u2019s 2025 AL MVP \u2014 his third overall and second straight \u2014 is both a personal milestone and a reminder of how narrow modern award races can be. The 17\u2011to\u201113 first\u2011place split showed that elite seasons can be judged differently by voters, and that small differences in ballot placement can determine a trophy.<\/p>\n<p>For the Yankees, the award reinforces the franchise\u2019s long history of MVP winners and keeps Judge in the conversation among the era\u2019s most decorated position players. For the Mariners and Cal Raleigh, the runner\u2011up nod signals growing recognition for Seattle players in national awards voting. Fans and analysts will be watching whether this momentum influences offseason decisions, Hall\u2011of\u2011Fame narratives and future BBWAA ballots.<\/p>\n<h2>Sources<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/bbwaa.com\/25-al-mvp\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">BBWAA \u2014 Official BBWAA announcement and ballot summary (official)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lead Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees has been named the 2025 American League Most Valuable Player, claiming his third career AL MVP and his second consecutive award after a razor-thin vote against Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh. Judge received 17 first-place votes to Raleigh\u2019s 13, the smallest margin in an AL race since &#8230; <a title=\"Yankees\u2019 Aaron Judge wins tight race to take home his third AL MVP, and second in a row &#8211; BBWAA\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/aaron-judge-3rd-al-mvp\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Yankees\u2019 Aaron Judge wins tight race to take home his third AL MVP, and second in a row &#8211; BBWAA\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4416,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_title":"Aaron Judge wins third AL MVP, second straight \u2014 Diamond","rank_math_description":"Aaron Judge captured the 2025 AL MVP \u2014 his third career and second consecutive \u2014 edging Cal Raleigh 17\u201113 in first\u2011place votes in a BBWAA tally conducted before the postseason.","rank_math_focus_keyword":"Aaron Judge, AL MVP, Cal Raleigh, Yankees, 2025","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4420","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-top-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4420","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4420"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4420\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4416"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4420"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4420"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4420"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}