The race for American League MVP for a while seemed like a foregone conclusion. Unless Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge suffered a significant injury, the award was likely his. Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh just won't go away, though, so what we're left with is a potentially amazing two-man race for the hardware.

This article was originally published on www.si.com as Revisiting MLB's MVP Races: Cal Raleigh Jumps Aaron Judge. Plenty has changed since we last discussed the American League and National League Most Valuable Player races.

The one saving grace is Aaron Judge, who is having another scorching year at the plate, and consistent dominance is entering rarified air in a historic context. A collection of ESPN baseball analysts recently ranked Judge as the best player in the sport and predicted him to win his third MVP with a significant injury caveat.