Raleigh, Seattle Mariners
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Phillies closer Jhoan Duran showed off his might against AL MVP candidate Cal Raleigh, striking him out in three straight pitches.
Cal Raleigh’s two-run shot in the seventh inning sent hundreds of Little Leaguers from around the globe cheering in delight to see one of the brightest stars in the MLB Little League Classic go deep.
So we've established that Judge has a clear edge at the plate, while Raleigh has less significant advantages with the glove and on the bases. Which brings us to the big one: Wins Above Replacement, the catch-all metric to end all catch-all metrics.
The MLB record for single-season home runs by a catcher is 48, set by the Royals' Salvador Perez. Raleigh needs one to tie and two to break it, with more than a month left in the season. It feels like a foregone conclusion at this point, but that won't make the moment any less special.
Serving as L.A.'s leadoff hitter, Ohtani is slashing .284/.389/.624 with 42 home runs, 78 RBIs, 17 steals and an MLB-leading 112 runs, which is 20 more than the league's next highest run scorer. On the mound, he's pitched 19 innings across eight appearances and boasts a 2.37 ERA with 25 strikeouts.
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Yardbarker on MSNHas Cal Raleigh overtaken Aaron Judge in MVP race amid Yankee slugger's slump?
On July 23, New York Yankees’ megastar outfielder Aaron Judge had a commanding lead in the AL MVP race. After an injury and subsequent slump, has he been overtaken by a slugging catcher in Seattle?
Eugenio Suárez grounds into a force out, shortstop Trea Turner to second baseman Bryson Stott. Cal Raleigh out at 2nd.