Aaron Judge hit 53 home runs and had a batting average of .331, which should have won him the MVP award. But Cal Raleigh, the Mariners’ $105 million catcher, hit 60 home runs from behind the plate, breaking records that were thought to be unbreakable. Voters now have to make an impossible choice: Is Judge’s historic season better than Raleigh’s record-breaking year?

The Yankees slugger won the batting triple crown with a .457 on-base percentage and a .688 slugging percentage. He also drove in a league-leading 114 runs. He also had his best power season. This won him his fifth Silver Slugger award and tied him with Derek Jeter and Dave Winfield for the most in Yankees history. But Raleigh’s record-breaking offensive performance as a catcher, while playing behind the plate for 159 games, has completely changed the way people talk about individual excellence in 2025.

Buster Posey, himself, MLB’s last MVP-winning catcher, weighed in on the race by endorsing Raleigh despite Judge’s statistical prowess. “For him to put up those power numbers and just really overall offensive numbers and then to do it with great defense leading his team deep in the postseason—I mean, truly incredible,” Posey said on MLB Network. “My vote would have to go with Cal Raleigh.”

Posey’s decision makes a significant point.

Raleigh broke the records for home runs by a primary catcher (48) and a switch-hitter (69). Judge had a 164 to 150 edge in Wins Above Replacement, but Raleigh’s 125 RBIs and .948 OPS while catching for Seattle gave the team more than just his raw production.

But even though Cal Raleigh has done well, his path is still hard.

He led the Mariners to their first AL West title in 24 years, but he knew that individual success meant nothing when the team as a whole didn’t reach its goals.

“I’m super proud of these guys, but ultimately, it’s not what we wanted,” Raleigh shared with reporters. “I hate to use the word failure, but it’s a failure.”

The Mariners lost to the Toronto Blue Jays 4-3 in the 2025 American League Championship Series. Even his 60 home runs and .948 OPS couldn’t give fans what they needed most.

Seattle’s division title didn’t feel complete without success in October, and now the team has to make a big decision this offseason about who stays and how much it will cost.

Mariners must decide if Naylor is worth the price

Josh Naylor knows what Seattle’s future holds.

In his 54 regular-season games, the first baseman was the best player on the Mariners’ offense, making him a key piece that the front office needs to keep. Ryan Finkelstein, baseball analyst, says that Naylor will re-sign with the team for 4 years and $88 million.

“It’s a no-brainer to re-up with Naylor, especially since he won’t turn 29 until the end of June, which gives him a lot of time to play at his best.” The projection is important because it shows that the Mariners have some money to spend when free agency starts.

Finkelstein’s analysis reveals additional maneuvering room, too.

“If the Mariners went to five years or six years on Naylor to lower the AAV, they can rest easy knowing that even a six-year deal won’t take him past 35,” he explained. A four-year deal worth a little more than $20 million a year, which is what Christian Walker gets, is the lowest amount that Naylor could realistically get on the market.

The bigger picture shows how much things have changed. Naylor was traded to Arizona a year ago, and the trade turned into a four-month experiment. Now, competitive baseball teams are expected to make a run for him.

Seattle has to choose between matching outside offers or letting another team take advantage of their chance while Raleigh is still in his prime.