SEATTLE (AP) — Right before Big Dumper delivered a powerful impact to an ascending fly ball, scattered “MVP!” shouts erupted from near home plate on Sunday.
Considering how Cal Raleigh’s season began, maybe the Mariners’ catcher truly merits all this acclaim. With a solo home run during Seattle’s recent win,
2-1 against the Minnesota Twins,
Raleigh increased his tally to 23 home runs, which led Major League Baseball.
Teammate Randy Arozarena stated, with bench coach Manny Acta interpreting, “He’s having a remarkable season, both in terms of his offensive performance and defensive play. What he’s accomplishing currently is fantastic as he’s largely driving our team’s offense.”
That’s not an overstatement from Arozarena, and what Raleigh is doing is equally unmatched.
The 28-year-old catcher hailing from North Carolina, known for his amusing moniker, made history as the first backstop in Major League Baseball to hit 20 home runs prior to reaching the end of May. By early June, he had smashed 22 home runs, tying him for the second-highest total in Seattle Mariners’ records, just behind the legendary Ken Griffey Jr.’s 24 homers set in 1997.
Mariners manager Dan Wilson, a former catcher who played for the Seattle team back in 1997, commented, “He keeps developing and maturing within this sport. At his current rate of hitting home runs—and it’s worth noting that he isn’t only hitting home runs; he’s consistently making solid contact.”
You combine that with his performance catching in a game like this — wow, he’s truly a remarkable player and he’s excelling at everything right now.
Based on data from Baseball Savant, Raleigh stands as the eighth-best fielding catcher across major league teams.
He boasts more home runs than both Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that Raleigh has already contributed 3.3 Wins Above Replacement, according to baseball-reference.com, in fewer than 60 games this season for the AL West leading Mariners (32-26).
“I just wish that he continues to stay healthy and (has) a very long career,” Seattle pitcher Luis Castillo said, with Acta translating. “Because it’s a lot of fun right now.”
Salvador Perez from the Kansas City Royals owns the major league record for most home runs in a single season by a catcher with 48, achieved in 2021. This year, Raleigh is currently on track for 64 home runs, potentially surpassing the American League record of 62 set by Judge in 2022.
Certainly, we still have a significant distance to cover in 2025.
However, these remarkably impressive statistics for a player in such an arduous and draining role are quite noteworthy, as offense is frequently seen more as a bonus rather than a necessity.
Wilson, who spent 14 years as a Major League catcher, stated, “It’s not always about playing harder; it’s about playing smarter.” He added, “He keeps demonstrating intelligent baseball both when catching and batting. He’s making significant contributions everywhere on the field.”
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