Aaron Judge gets surprising MVP endorsement

It’s not every day the face of the Boston Red Sox stumps for the face of the New York Yankees, but here we are. Alex Cora didn’t hesitate on MLB Network’s “Hot Stove.”

Asked about the American League MVP race, Cora made it simple.

“Cal was great. Judge is the MVP.”

Cora framed it as a bet on the total package.

“Going into the season, not too many people thought that he was going to put another monster year because (Juan) Soto signed with the Mets,” he said of Judge. “It was the other way around. He carried that club early in the season. Offensively, defensively, running the bases. The leader.”

Judge’s numbers back that up.

He nearly replicated last year’s MVP pace, finishing at .331/.457/.688 for a 1.144 OPS with 53 home runs, 114 RBI and 137 runs, again pairing elite power with a batting-title push. 

Cal Raleigh, meanwhile, authored a historic counterargument. He was the first catcher ever to reach 60. He led MLB in homers, powered Seattle to the AL West title, and spent September toppling records for switch-hitters and catchers. If you prefer raw slug and pennant-race thunder, the case is real.

Beyond the novelty of the endorsement, the arguments follow how voters usually lean when one player dominates multiple categories. Judge carried New York early, stabilized the middle of the order all season, and did it while playing a clean right field and taking extra bases. That’s the kind of campaign that tends to win tiebreakers.

He also values Judge's standing in the game. 

Cora’s “leader” line nods to the intangibles that are always used to describe Judge. His availability, standards, and the way a one-star season can define a team’s personality. Rivalry rules still apply, but on this one, Cora sounded like a lot of scouts and managers who watched Judge all summer.