Don, Hahn & Rosenberg – Hour 4: AL MVP Debate (September 18, 2025)

Overview

In this lively episode, Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, and Peter Rosenberg tackle one of MLB’s hottest end-of-season topics: Who deserves the American League MVP—Aaron Judge or Cal Raleigh? The hosts and callers debate the meaning of “Most Valuable Player,” historical achievements, positional significance, and team impact. Alongside the spirited MVP discussion, listeners are treated to a few classic New York sports tangents, baseball nostalgia, and audience participation.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Remembering New York Soccer’s Heyday and the Modern MLS Hype

• Brief nostalgic discussion about soccer in New York, referencing Pele, sold-out Meadowlands games in the 1970s, and parallels to today’s “Messi-mania.”
  • [01:19] Don Hahn: “Every time I hear [Ronaldo’s] name, I only think of Gunling when he's imitating… That’s so good.”
  • [02:01] Alan: “It’s amazing that soccer is still trying to find a big thing when it used to be a big thing somehow…it was a happening.”

Clayton Kershaw’s Legacy

• Before the MVP debate, the hosts spend a moment on Clayton Kershaw's career and Hall of Fame credentials.
  • [03:07] Alan: “There's going to be some jack wagon in both. They should be immediately not only thrown off the voting, but probably excommunication.”
  • Acknowledgment of the changing nature of pitching—no more “innings eaters.”
  • [04:01] Don Hahn: “I feel like they do pay pitchers. Like they baby pitchers.”
  • [04:32] Don Hahn: “It just wasn't like Seaver and…Fergie Jenkins…nine innings of baseball and one run was given up. Like it's unreal.”

The Core – AL MVP Debate: Judge vs. Raleigh

Framing the Question: What Does “MVP” Mean?

• [08:02] Alan: “They should throw MVP out and just put Outstanding Player. They got to put it’s the best player in the league.”
• Consistent frustration over the ambiguity—best player or most valuable to their team?

The Judge Argument: Unquestioned Greatness

• Aaron Judge is presented as the clear best player—statistically dominant and irreplaceable for the Yankees.
  • [09:46] Peter Rosenberg: “Best player in the sport is Aaron…The Yankees don’t win when Judge gets hurt. We’ve seen. They're just not the same.”
  • [12:29] Peter Rosenberg: “In every category for Judge. He crushes. Oh, listen, he's the better player.”

The Raleigh Argument: Historic Feat for a Catcher

• Cal Raleigh’s impact comes from doing the unprecedented at the catcher position (home run records, defensive importance), and Seattle’s potential division win carries weight.
  • [10:18] Peter Rosenberg: “If you wanted to give it to Raleigh because his team won the division…he did all these things as a catcher. Yankee fans will get mad. I don’t think you can get mad if Raleigh won it…Catchers aren’t supposed to do this.”
  • [10:40] Peter Rosenberg: “He is going to end up…If he hits, I think one more home run, he'll hit more home runs than Ken Griffey Jr. ever hit in Seattle…It is pretty incredible.”

The Voter Dilemma: Fatigue and History

• "Voter fatigue" is discussed—the hesitancy to give the same player (Judge) repeated honors.
• [09:46] Don Hahn: “You want to come up with a reason to give it to Cal Riley, you will. And this is a year where you can build the case.”
• [11:17] Peter Rosenberg: “There is sometimes, I think, a New York bias or a fatigue having the same guy wins all the time. So I do think Raleigh's gonna get some votes. But…it's not that much of a travesty.”

Batting Average, New Metrics, and the Value Debate

• The hosts debate the impact of batting average vs. new stats like OPS.
  • [12:15] Peter Rosenberg: “I don't care what, what happened with baseball and how they appreciated it. Give me, give me his batting.329. Cal Raleigh, he bats under 250.”
  • [12:29] Peter Rosenberg: “All we keep hearing from the baseball people is the batting average doesn't matter anymore…When the Yankees have the starting lineup on the jumbotron, Peter, they're showing the OPS, not even your batting.”

Outstanding Player vs. MVP

• Consensus that “best” and “most valuable” aren’t automatic synonyms.
• [12:55] Don Hahn: “You could do that in all sports.”

Caller Segment: Fan Stats and Perspectives

The “OPS Subtraction” Stat

• [15:00] Alan: (caller) “If you take Cal Raleigh's OPS and you subtract it by 180, you get the average baseball player in 2025…if you take Judge's OPS and subtract it by 180, you get Cal Raleigh…That alone speaks pretty good.”
  • Hosts praise this as a telling illustration of the gap between the two.

“Valuable to Team” – Mariners Without Raleigh, Yankees Without Judge

• [16:26] Don Hahn: “Take Aaron Judge out of the lineup. They're awful. Come on.”
• [16:53] Peter Rosenberg: “There's a big separation between the New York Yankees and the Seattle Mariners as far as the talent on the team…Where would Seattle be without Cal Raleigh? Maybe 10 games under and can be completely irrelevant.”

Historic Seasons vs. Standards

• [18:48] Don Hahn: “This has become [Judge’s] norm. He is Nikola Jokic…This is just what he does…What Cal Raleigh is doing is historic at his position…That's why…you can make the case of giving it to Cal Raleigh. But I think that's only because Judge has set such a…high…standard.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [03:07] Alan on voting oddities:
  “There's going to be some jack wagon in both. They should be immediately not only thrown off the voting, but probably excommunication.”
• [10:18] Peter Rosenberg on Raleigh’s case:
  “If you wanted to give it to Raleigh because his team won the division…he did all these things as a catcher…Catchers aren’t supposed to do this, right?”
• [15:00] Alan (caller) with a stat:
  “If you take Cal Raleigh's OPS and you subtract it by 180, you get the average baseball player…if you take Judge's OPS and subtract it by 180, you get Cal Raleigh…That alone speaks pretty good.”
• [18:48] Don Hahn on standards:
  “[Judge] has set his standard. That standard happens to be higher than pretty much every player in the league. But this is his standard. What Cal Raleigh is doing is historic at his position.”

Tangents & Lighter Moments

YouTube Channel Milestone

• Hosts celebrate surpassing 10,000 YouTube subscribers.
  • [19:08] Peter Rosenberg: “Our YouTube channel has surpassed 10,000…We got it two weeks early, baby.”

Yankees Hypothetical – 2001 WS or 2004 ALCS

• [20:30] Alan: “Hey, Alan, if you could go back in time, as a Yankees fan, would you rather go back and win 2004 ALCS game seven or 2001 World Series?”
• [20:43] Don Hahn: “Give me the championship every time.”
• [21:16] Peter Rosenberg: “You blew a three nothing series lead. If you win that series…you're still the only team ever to do it in baseball history. That's not something that goes away.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:19] – NY soccer nostalgia and Messi mania
• [02:01] – Alan on old NYC soccer, crowd sizes
• [03:04] – Kershaw's HOF legacy; the end of innings-eating starters
• [07:51] – Caller brings up the MVP debate: semantics vs. substance
• [08:02–14:18] – AL MVP debate (Judge vs. Raleigh)
• [15:00] – Caller offers “OPS subtraction” stat for perspective
• [19:08] – Hosts celebrate YouTube milestone
• [20:30–22:29] – Yankees hypothetical: which heartbreak to undo?
• [22:32] – Episode wraps (final thoughts, sign-offs)

Summary

This episode delivers a passionate, nuanced discussion of the AL MVP contest, with insightful breakdowns of “best” versus “most valuable,” recognition of historic positional value (for a catcher like Raleigh), and acknowledgment of standards set by all-time greats (like Judge). The hosts bring both the data and the heart, balancing analytic depth with quintessential New York sports talk energy. Whether you want to settle the MVP argument or just love the rhythm of real sports radio, this hour is a must-listen snapshot of baseball’s biggest debate in September 2025.