SEATTLE — As the anticipation built among the Mariners fans, a smattering of “MVP! MVP!” chants echoed through the stadium just before Cal Raleigh, affectionately nicknamed “Big Dumper,” sent a towering flyball into the afternoon sky. His performance has sparked discussion around Seattle, as Raleigh’s exceptional start to the season suggests he might be more than deserving of such accolades.
Raleigh’s latest solo home run in the Mariners’ 2-1 triumph over the Minnesota Twins marked his 23rd blast of the season, placing him at the pinnacle of the major league leaderboard. Teammate Randy Arozarena, with bench coach Manny Acta translating, voiced the sentiment shared by many: “He’s having an excellent season, not only offensively but also defensively. What he’s doing right now, it’s great because he’s carrying our offense pretty much.”
The evidence of Raleigh’s contributions is impressive. The 28-year-old catcher from North Carolina, noted for his catchy nickname, is the first in major league history to record 20 home runs before the end of May. With 22 home runs by June, he tied for the second-most in Mariners’ history, trailing only the legendary Ken Griffey Jr., who hit 24 in 1997.
Mariners manager Dan Wilson, recalling his days as a catcher on Seattle’s 1997 team, praised Raleigh’s growth, stating, “He just continues to grow and mature in this game. The pace that he’s on with home runs — and he’s not just hitting home runs, he’s still just hitting the ball hard. You add that to what he does behind the plate in a game like this — whew, he’s a real special player and he’s doing it all right now.”
Raleigh’s defensive prowess is also spotlighted, as Baseball Savant ranks him eighth among major league catchers in Fielding Run Value. Despite fewer games, Raleigh stands out with more home runs than stars Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge, amassing a 3.3 Wins Above Replacement, as noted by baseball-reference.com, all contributing significantly to the AL West-leading Mariners, who maintain a record of 32-26.
Pitcher Luis Castillo, with translation help from Acta, expressed his admiration, “I just wish that he continues to stay healthy and (has) a very long career. Because it’s a lot of fun right now.” Raleigh has set his sights on surpassing the 48-home-run season record set by the Kansas City Royals’ Salvador Perez in 2021 and is pace for a potential 64 home runs, a figure that would eclipse Aaron Judge’s American League record of 62 set in 2022.
Looking ahead, there remains much of the 2025 season to play. Nonetheless, Raleigh’s offensive output is all the more remarkable given the physically demanding nature of his position, where formidable batting is often seen as a bonus rather than a necessity. Wilson, reflecting on his own playing career spanning 14 years, remarked, “Sometimes it’s not playing harder, it’s playing smarter. And he continues to play smart baseball whether it’s behind the plate or at the bat. He’s coming up huge for us all over the place.”