Aaron Judge came close to claiming this year’s American League MVP award, but he found himself in a tight competition.
Judge edged out Mariners catcher Cal Lowry by a mere four first-place votes. This contest marked the closest AL MVP race since 2019, when Mike Trout of the Angels prevailed over Alex Bregman of the Astros with the same vote difference.
Prior to this, the closest competition for the AL MVP was in 2006, when Justin Morneau from the Twins won against Derek Jeter, receiving 15 first-place votes compared to Jeter’s 12.
Lowry had an impressive offensive season, setting records for catchers with 60 home runs, 125 RBIs, and a .948 OPS. The 28-year-old also played a crucial role in leading the Mariners to their first ALCS appearance in 24 years, although they ultimately lost to the Blue Jays in a seven-game series.
Despite Lowry’s remarkable performance, it wasn’t enough to dethrone Judge. This victory marked Judge’s second consecutive MVP award and made him the fourth Yankee to achieve this feat, following in the footsteps of Roger Maris, who won back-to-back MVPs after the 1960-61 season.
“Our main goal when we play Seattle is to make sure Cal is able to play. I can’t beat you,” Judge remarked after winning the 2025 AL MVP on Thursday.
With this award, Judge became only the 13th player ever to win the MVP title at least three times in his career. He joined the ranks of Yankees legends like Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, and Mickey Mantle who have achieved this milestone. Alex Rodriguez also won the MVP three times, but his first title came in 2003 while playing for the Rangers.
Alongside his MVP accolades, Judge also secured the first batting title of his career, boasting a .331 batting average—making him the top hitter in the league.
“It’s pretty wild,” he commented on winning the batting title. “I try not to think about it during the season. I just keep my head down for 162 games and try to do whatever I can to help the team win. I give it my all, then wake up the next day and do it again.”
