It’s clear that the rigor that matters most to Cal Poly is math, as it alone can make up 2/3 of the maximum score.
Whether or not AP classes are de facto more rigorous is debateable. AP classes do one thing, unify the curriculum between institutions.
My son took plenty of AP classes (8 if I recall correctly) including Calculus through BC and Calc based Physics, but the two most rigorous classes at his school (a private college prep scool) weren’t AP classes (big caveat…that’s assuming a student that doesn’t struggle with math). They were freshman World History and Organic Chemistry/Biochemistry.
As for GPA being the highest value in the MCA, GPA is top dog in almost every school’s admissions algorithm, objective or holistic. Why? Because HS GPA above all other metrics has the highest correlation to collegiate success. That’s in no way to say rigor is not important.