Cal Raleigh's 53 home runs put him more than ten ahead of Aaron Judge, aiming not just for a wildcard but also the MVP title.

The Seattle Mariners dominated the Atlanta Braves with a 10-2 victory, then again with an 18-2 rout the following day. During these games, power-hitting catcher Cal Raleigh reached his 53rd homer of the season, only one short of Mickey Mantle’s 1961 record for homers from both sides in a single year. Meanwhile, New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge remains at 43 homers, trailing Raleigh by 10, making it nearly impossible to catch up in the remaining regular season.

Cal Raleigh’s 53 home runs also lead the entire league. Following him are Philadelphia’s Kyle Schwarber with 49 homers and Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani with 48, both expected to surpass the 50-home run mark.

In the AL MVP race drawing much attention, besides home run totals, Raleigh’s overall hitting is less impressive than Judge’s. He strikes out frequently, with 82 walks and 167 strikeouts, resulting in an on-base percentage of just .351, well below Judge’s .443. Raleigh’s main strength lies in his home runs and defense, where his value as a catcher is clear.

Currently, the league leader in walks is Juan Soto of the New York Mets with 117, closely followed by Judge with 104. On the hitting leaderboard, only these two have on-base percentages above .400 (Soto at .401). Writer Jake Mintz noted that MVP voters consider factors such as Raleigh’s defensive position. Since catchers typically aren’t expected to have such power, Raleigh producing historically strong offensive numbers for a catcher could sway votes away from Judge.

The AL wildcard race is tightly contested, with the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and Seattle Mariners currently in front. However, the Texas Rangers are only 1.5 games behind the Mariners, and the Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Guardians are within three games, forecasting a fierce battle toward the season’s end.