Aaron Judge had a outstanding 2025. He led main league baseball in batting common, on base share, slugging share, and OPS, whereas guiding his staff to 94 wins and a playoff berth. In some other season, the Yankee captain would’ve been the indeniable American League MVP. But not in 2025 when Cal Raleigh hit 60 residence runs, primarily as a catcher.
How does this occur? Sometimes, the voters get it improper. They may be swayed by nebulous issues like vibes and storylines which permits them to disregard details, statistics, and logic. It’s the explanation a kicker as soon as received NFL MVP and why Steve Nash has as many NBA MVP awards as Shaq and Kobe mixed. But what couldn’t be corrected on the poll field may be known as out right here. These are the Top 10 MVP Robberies in sports activities.
Raleigh: 60 HR 125 RBI .247/.359/.589 7.4 WAR
Judge: 53 HR 114 RBI .331/.457/.688 9.7 WAR
Aaron Judge was a deserving MVP. But Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh did issues that we have by no means seen. He hit 60 residence runs as a major catcher (the earlier report was Salvador Perez’s 48 in 2021) and shattered Mickey Mantle’s report for residence runs by a change hitter. And he did so whereas taking part in essentially the most demanding place within the sport — and doing it nicely; Raleigh is an elite defensive catcher and top-of-the-line pitch framers within the sport. Judge had a season for the ages. It simply wasn’t as memorable because the Big Dumper’s historic marketing campaign.
Jordan: 28.7 PPG 5.9 RPG 4.3 APG .486/.374/.833 8.6 VORP
Malone: 27.4 PPG 9.9 RPG 4.5 APG .550/.000/.755 7.8 VORP
With 9 seconds left in Game 1 of the 1997 NBA Finals, Karl Malone stepped to the free throw line with an opportunity to interrupt an 82-82 tie. Scottie Pippen then slid previous him and whispered in his ear, “The Mailman doesn’t deliver on Sundays.” Malone, who collected his first MVP award two weeks earlier, would show Pippen prescient. He bricked his two free throws. Then, on the following possession, Michael Jordan hit a game-winner on the buzzer; the Bulls went on to win the sequence in six video games.
By this level, voters had Michael Jordan fatigue. He was the undisputed greatest participant within the sport occurring a decade and had already collected 4 common season MVPs. In 1997, he ought to’ve received his fifth.
Jeter: 14 HR 97 RBI .343/.417/.483 5.6 WAR
Morneau: 34 HR 130 RBI .321/.375/.559 4.3 WAR
The MVP doesn’t all the time go to the most effective participant. It’s typically awarded to the one with the most effective story. Who overcame essentially the most adversity? Who has but to win? Who dragged their ragtag staff to the playoffs? It’s known as the MVP Narrative and it’s a really highly effective indicator of who voters will reward. Except in 2006.
As the 2006 season progressed, a story took form: Yankees captain Derek Jeter, the four-time World Series winner and face of MLB, deserved his first MVP Award. He checked all of the bins. He was within the midst of his best season since 1999. He upped his sport after teammates Hideki Matsui and Gary Sheffield went down with harm and the Yankees ran away with the division, successful the American League East by ten video games. The New York tabloids and sports activities speak radio boosted his case. Then, the voters voted and his coronation acquired cancelled.
Jackson: 316-474 66.7 CMP% 4,172 YDS 41 TD 4 INT 119.6 RTG
Allen: 307-483 63.6 CMP% 3,731 YDS 28 TD 6 INT 101.4 RTG
Josh Allen was a beneficiary of the MVP Narrative. With three prime 5 finishes, the Bills star QB had come near capturing the prize. All season lengthy we have been reminded that he was as a result of win and ultimately he did. But right here’s the reality: Allen was higher in 2020 and 2022 than throughout his MVP marketing campaign. In reality, the 2024 Buffalo Bills have been much less depending on Josh Allen than in earlier seasons. James Cook emerged to develop into an even bigger a part of the offense and Allen threw practically 100 fewer passes than he did in 2023.
If not for The Narrative, Allen probably finishes fourth, behind Lamar Jackson, Saquon Barkley, and Joe Burrow, all of whom had traditionally nice seasons in 2024.
Kemp: 39 HR 126 RBI .324/.399/.586 8.0 WAR
Braun: 33 HR 111 RBI .332/.397/.597 7.7 WAR
Sometimes a heist is apparent and generally it takes time to appreciate voters made a mistake — like in Ryan Braun’s case. About a month after Braun received the NL MVP, ESPN reported that he examined optimistic for efficiency enhancing medicine throughout a random drug check in October. Braun efficiently appealed his suspension after an arbitrator questioned the chain of custody for Braun’s urine pattern. But he wasn’t off the hook simply but.
In February 2013, Braun’s identify appeared in information related to Biogenesis, the Miami-based clinic that allegedly supplied PED’s to a number of athletes. Braun was suspended 65 video games and shortly admitted to taking PED’s. Shockingly, he wasn’t the identical participant after coming back from suspension, validating Matt Kemp’s already robust case for MVP.
James: 26.7 PPG 7.5 RPG 7.0 APG .510/.330/.759 7.8 VORP
Rose: 25.0 PPG 4.1 RPG 7.7 APG .445/.332/.858 6.7 VORP
Derrick Rose’s sole MVP was lifted by two tropes: The Narrative and voter fatigue. NBA writers couldn’t resist his story. D-Rose was the South Side child main his hometown Bulls to heights the franchise hadn’t seen since Michael Jordan patrolled the United Center. They have been additionally on the lookout for any purpose to disclaim LeBron James his third consecutive MVP, particularly after The Decision turned him into Public Enemy #1.
LeBron would have his revenge although within the Eastern Conference Finals, outplaying Rose and main the Heat to a fast sequence win over the Bulls.
Bryant: 35.4 PPG 5.3 RPG 4.5 APG .450/.347/.850 8.0 VORP
Nash: 18.8 PPG 4.2 RPG 10.5 APG .512/.439/.921 4.9 VORP
Reigning MVP Steve Nash had a greater declare to the award in 2006 than he did the earlier season. He scored extra factors in a extra environment friendly method and had a a lot larger raise as soon as Amar’e Stoudemire’s season was minimize quick after three video games. But Kobe Bean Bryant carried out miracles in 2005-06.
Bryant led the league in scoring with 35.4 factors per sport, the best common since Michael Jordan’s 37.09 in 1986-87, and put the Lakers on his again all season. With Shaq in South Beach, Bryant was the Batman and Robin for Los Angeles. His supporting forged was, to be variety, not good. Lamar Odom (who regardless of his expertise by no means made an All-Star staff), Chris Mihm, Kwame Brown, Luke Walton, Devean George, Sasha Vujacic, and Bryant’s favourite punching bag Smush Parker. Despite the inferior roster, Bryant led the Lakers to 45 wins and took Nash’s prime seeded Suns to seven video games within the first spherical of the playoffs.
Fouts: 204-330 61.8 CMP% 2883 YDS 17 TD 11 INT 93.3 RTG
Mosley: 20 FGM – 21 FA 16 XPM – 19 XPA
The 1982 strike-shortened season led to bizarre developments within the NFL: an abbreviated nine-game schedule and a kicker — Mark Moseley of the staff now known as the Washington Commanders — successful league MVP. Moseley had a fantastic season, though he missed three additional factors. He hit two sport winners within the closing seconds and in extra time and performed a big half in two different wins for the eventual Super Bowl champions. But, repeat with me, he was a kicker. San Diego Chargers QB Dan Fouts, who was on a record-setting tempo for each touchdowns and yards, would’ve been the logical selection in some other season.
Judge: 52 HR 114 RBI .284/.422/.627 8.1 WAR
Altuve: 24 HR 81 RBI .346/.410/.547 8.1 WAR
Most baseball followers barely flinched when Jose Altuve received the 2017 American League MVP. Sure, it was stunning that he carried 27 of 30 first place votes (Aaron Judge led the league in runs and residential runs and his OPS numbers dwarfed Altuve’s whole) however this stuff occurred. Altuve had The Narrative on his facet. But it was later revealed that the Astros had cheated all through the season — an elaborate scheme that utilized a centerfield digicam feed, video displays, and, um, a trash can. Astros batters knew what pitch was coming at occasions throughout residence video games, which absolutely juiced their numbers, together with Altuve’s.
Cody Bellinger, whose Dodgers misplaced to the Astros within the 2017 World Series, spoke for many gamers and followers after the scandal broke. “Those guys were cheating for three years,” he mentioned of the Astros. “I think what people don’t realize is Altuve stole an MVP from Judge in 2017. Everyone knows they stole the ring from us. But it’s over.”
O’Neal: 22.9 PPG 10.4 RPG 2.7 APG .601/N/A/ .469 4.6 VORP
Nash: 15.5 PPG 3.3 RPG 11.5 APG .502/.431/.887 4.4 VORP
Steve Nash’s case for successful the 2005 NBA MVP may very well be simply debunked with one easy reality: The Dallas Mavericks have been higher with out him. Nash’s former staff improved from 52 to 58 wins largely as a result of the truth that their protection went from twenty eighth within the league to 14th with out the defensively challenged level guard. Meanwhile, the Lakers cratered after buying and selling O’Neal in the course of the summer season of 2004, going from 56 wins to 34 and lacking the playoffs for the primary time in over a decade.