AL MVP Duel: Raleigh’s 60-HR season vs. Judge’s all-around dominance

The American League MVP race has come down to a two-man duel as the regular season reaches its final weekend, with Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh and New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge staking rival claims to the award. Raleigh on Wednesday became the first catcher in major league history to hit 60 home runs in a season, while Judge has paced the league in batting average, on base percentage, slugging and OPS as he leads the Yankees in a late push for the AL East title.

Raleigh's 60 homers and 125 runs batted in anchored a Mariners club that clinched the AL West and secured a postseason berth. His power figures have rewritten franchise and positional history, surpassing previous single-season highs by Mariners sluggers and the long-standing catcher mark. He has also shouldered a heavy defensive workload behind the plate, catching more than 120 games this year, a factor that analysts say enhances his value.

Judge, meanwhile, has been the dominant all-around hitter for New York. He entered the weekend with a batting line around .330 and an OPS just over 1.14, and he leads baseball in both versions of wins above replacement. Judge's power numbers include his fourth...