Cal Raleigh has become arguably the most valuable player in baseball.
Yes, Aaron Judge still exists. But it's worth considering the positional value the Seattle Mariners catcher brings to the table. The average major league catcher these days is below average at the plate. Meanwhile, Raleigh has been destroying the poor saps he's facing on the mound. He's on pace to make some serious history in the process.
Through 78 games, Raleigh is slashing .277/.382/.658 with an MLB-best 32 home runs and 69 RBIs. Yes, Judge's numbers are better overall and he's likely headed for his third MVP award in the last four years, but Raleigh's relative value is through the roof. He also won a Platinum Glove in 2024 as the American League's best defender at any position. The 28-year-old is a legitimate two-way star.
We decided to go inside the numbers put up by the man they call the Big Dumper during his remarkable first half.
32 — Raleigh's home runs through 78 games.
34 — Raleigh's career high in home runs, set last season.
17 — Number of home runs by the next closest catcher, Los Angeles Angels backstop Logan O'Hoppe. Only six catchers are in double figures, meanwhile, the switch-hitting Raleigh has 21 from the left side of the plate alone.
28 — Home runs hit in the first half of the 1970 season by Hall of Famer Johnny Bench, which was previously a record for catchers.
39 — Barry Bonds's record for home runs before the All-Star break, set during his BALCO-fueled 2001 season.
48 — Record for home runs in a season by a catcher, set by Salvador Perez in 2021.
20 — Percentage of batted balls Raleigh hits on the barrel, which is in the 98th percentile across MLB.
5.4 — Raleigh's fWAR in 153 games during the 2024 season, tied for the best among catchers.
5.4 — Raleigh's fWAR through 78 games in 2025, which ranks second behind Aaron Judge (6.1) among all players.
3.1 — fWAR of Dodgers catcher Will Smith, who ranks second at the position. There are only three qualified catchers with an fWAR higher than 1.8.
.658 — Raleigh's slugging percentage, which ranks second in baseball behind Judge.
194 — Raleigh's wRC+, which ranks second in baseball behind Judge, again.
1.030 — Raleigh's OPS, which ranks second in baseball behind… you get it.
.702 — OPS of the average major league catcher in 2025.
1.026 — Raleigh's OPS when batting left-handed.
1.110 — Raleigh's OPS when batting right handed.
.382 — Raleigh's on-base percentage, which ranks 12th in MLB and second among catchers (behind Smith).
.401 — Raleigh's xwOBA, a statistic that uses MLB’s Statcast system to determine a player’s expected weighted on-base average, a catch-all advanced metric for overall hitting performance. Only 10 hitters have higher xwOBAs, and none are catchers.
105 million — Value in dollars of the six-year contract extension Raleigh signed with the Mariners before this season, and he almost certainly wishes he hadn't. The 28-year-old was set to enter free agency after the 2027 season. Given the season he's having, he could have sought upwards of $30 million per season on an extension or eventual free agent contract, perhaps double the $17.5 million he'll make on average per year.
What Raleigh is doing is flat-out remarkable. He's punishing pitching from both sides of the plate while playing Gold Glove-caliber defense behind the plate. He's on the verge of setting records and shows no signs of slowing down.
There's little argument over the notion that he’s rapidly become one of baseball's most valuable players, if not the AL’s most valuable player.
