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Mariners Drop Unexpected Cal Raleigh News on Friday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Eric W. Bolin | Last updated Jun 7, 2025 11:55 AM ET

With apologies to Sir-Mix-a-Lot, looks like it's Cal Raleigh who has a motor in the back of his Honda.

Or, rather, his Dump Truck.

The Seattle Mariners catcher, cheekily nicknamed Big Dumper because of the size of his derriere, came into his own the last two seasons, finishing 18th and 12th in American League Most Valuable Player voting in 2023 and 2024, respectively.

But what Raleigh has accomplished in 2025 is nothing short of extraordinary. Through 62 Mariners games, Raleigh carries a 4.0 fWAR. As a frame of reference, he's on pace for a total around 10. The highest by a major-league catcher since 2008? Buster Posey's 10.1 during his 2012 MVP season with the San Francisco Giants.

What's maybe most remarkable about Raleigh, who already set the franchise record for home runs by a catcher earlier this season, is his speed.

On Friday against the Los Angeles Angels, Raleigh swiped his seventh base of the season, tying the Mariners' record for single-season steals by a catcher. Coincidentally, he tied his current manager, Dan Wilson (1997), and Bob Kearney (1984). He has 100 games to break the record.

Raleigh, who also won a Gold Glove last year, is slashing .268/.377/.638 with 24 home runs and 49 RBIs. It's hard to imagine where the Mariners would be without him, as they sit middle of the MLB pack in runs-per-game and entered Saturday with a 32-30 record, 2 1/2 games behind the Houston Astros in the AL West.

Only New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge has a higher fWAR this season than Raleigh. The former Florida State Seminoles catcher gets an opportunity to add to his total Saturday when the Mariners play the Angels in the second game of their three-game weekend series.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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