Mariners Star Cal Raleigh Eyes World Series After MVP Loss

Coming within inches of winning baseball's highest individual honor would crush most players, but Cal Raleigh is channeling his near-miss into something greater.

The Mariners catcher finished runner-up in one of the closest MVP races in years, earning 13 of 30 first-place votes against Aaron Judge's 17. Raleigh had crushed 60 home runs (a record for any catcher and switch-hitter), won the Home Run Derby, and led Seattle to their first division title in 24 years.

"You want to win, so obviously disappointed," Raleigh admitted at spring training in Peoria, Arizona. "But I'm trying to do something bigger, which is the World Series."

That mindset defined Raleigh's entire 2025 season, even as the MVP debate dominated sports headlines. While warming up in clubhouses across the country, he'd see his name debated on MLB Network screens, but he kept his focus on team success rather than personal glory.

The gap between the Mariners' heartbreaking playoff loss and the MVP announcement gave Raleigh time to process both disappointments. Instead of dwelling on what could have been, he's studying the man who beat him.

Why This Inspires

Raleigh isn't asking Judge about hitting mechanics or swing tips. He wants to learn about leadership from someone who handles immense pressure in baseball's biggest spotlight.

"I know who I am now," Raleigh said. "I want to know what other leaders do. I want to be able to pick their brain."

The two will be teammates this spring on Team USA for the World Baseball Classic, giving Raleigh a chance to continue a conversation they started at last year's All-Star Game. There are no hard feelings between them, just mutual respect and a shared understanding of what it takes to lead.

Raleigh will spend late February and early March competing for his country in a tournament that mimics playoff intensity. He sees it as another building block toward his ultimate goal: bringing a championship to Seattle.

After a season that saw him become one of baseball's biggest stories, Cal Raleigh is proving that the best leaders measure success not by trophies on their shelf, but by championships they haven't won yet.