New York Yankees‘ Aaron Judge edged Seattle Mariners‘ Cal Raleigh for American League MVP on November 13. Nonetheless, the decision from the MLB writers to go with Judge isn’t sitting well with sports media host Dan Patrick.
The Baseball Writers’ Association of America delivered one of its tightest races in recent years. Judge secured seventeen first-place votes and landed second on the remaining thirteen ballots, per ESPN. Raleigh claimed the other thirteen first-place votes and finished as the runner-up on the seventeen ballots where Judge received the most votes.
Despite winning his first batting title with a .331 average, finishing twenty points clear of the rest of the majors while blasting 53 home runs, Patrick believes that Raleigh deserved the award.
“If Aaron Judge was on Seattle and Cal Raleigh was on the Yankees, who wins MVP?” Patrick said on the November 14 edition of “The Dan Patrick Show.” “That’s a rhetorical question because we know Cal Raleigh, as the Yankees’ catcher and a Gold Glove winner, would take it. They’d hype him as the next Thurman Munson.
“Aaron Judge can be a liability in the field—he’s not a standout outfielder—but he’s a great hitter and destined for the Hall of Fame. Cal Raleigh plays the most important position in baseball, is out there every day, and helped develop a strong young pitching staff that made the playoffs.
“If Cal Raleigh were the Yankees’ catcher, hitting 60 home runs, winning the division, nurturing the pitching staff, and earning Gold Glove honors, he wins the MVP.”
Did Defense Not Play a Role in Aaron Judge-Cal Raleigh Race?
Moreover, Patrick didn’t stop solely at the offensive production that both players produced to make his argument that Raleigh deserved the AL MVP. He went further into detail on why the Mariners‘ star playing a more demanding position while putting up great offensive numbers should have given him the edge.
“Aaron Judge’s numbers are phenomenal, with a batting average probably 50 points higher, but the hardest and most important position combined with 60 home runs tips the scales,” Patrick added. “He only missed three games, making his case even stronger. This is why Raleigh would be the MVP. I would just say we forget that when you’re a catcher, you never get a day off. I can put Aaron Judge in the outfield, and he might get four balls hit his way.
“We’ve seen him, you know, in the playoffs be a liability out there, but it’s not really about he’s not a great fielder. It’s that Cal Raleigh is a really good catcher and he hits 60 home runs. And I don’t want this to be that I’m anti-Judge as much as I just think you got to factor in where Cal Raleigh was doing this in Seattle and the importance of doing it in a big market.”
Yankees’ Aaron Judge Makes History
After securing another AL MVP award, Judge became the 13th player ever to collect at least three MVPs. He now stands alongside Yogi Berra, Joe DiMaggio, and Mickey Mantle as the only Yankees to reach that milestone. Judge spoke with MLB Network after winning the award to share his initial thoughts.
“It’s a lot of responsibility playing in New York, but that’s what I love,” Judge said (h/t ESPN). “When I was a free agent, I came back to New York. I wanted to play in the city, play for these fans, play with these high expectations.”
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