Cal Raleigh's latest individual award should pressure Mariners to act in free agency

When people think of Cal Raleigh, they think of the Big Dumper and even bigger home runs. Despite playing his first full season just a few years go, he has already had his fair share of big moments while quickly becoming a franchise star.

Most of his reputation is tied to his bat but, don't be fooled. His glove is just as good, if not better. After joining Dylan Moore as one of two Mariners Gold Glove recipients, he took home an even bigger individual prize.

Raleigh was named the winner of the American League Platinum Glove award, an honor that seeks to commemorate the best overall defender of each league, and became the second AL catcher to win the award since it was introduced in 2011. He led AL catchers in DRS (17), framing runs (13), total baserunners caught stealing (32), and catcher ERA (3.30); figures that illustrate just how well deserved this award was.

His skills were complemented by his gargantuan workload, as he spent 135 games and 1,122 innings behind the dish, more than any other backstop. With Mitch Garver serving as an "in-case-of-emergency" catcher and no one else on the depth chart, Raleigh was tasked with playing the most grueling position in baseball for nearly every game in 2024.

Despite this herculean effort (and still recovering from an injury he sustained last year), he managed to have the best season of his career so far, accumulating 4.6 rWAR, the second-most of any catcher in MLB. In addition to his work behind the plate, Raleigh also slashed .220/.312/.436 with 16 doubles and 34 home runs for a final OPS+ of 119, good enough to make him a Silver Slugger finalist.

With this award confirming his defensive prowess, his case for being one of the most well-rounded catchers in the sport has never been stronger. Players with comparable defense like Patrick Bailey and Freddy Fermin had below-league average production at the plate, while those with strong bats like William Contreras and Salvador Perez were a long way from matching Raleigh's contributions to run prevention.

These awards will also undoubtedly help his case in his upcoming round of arbitration, which could decrease the amount left to spend on free agents if the Mariners choose to keep the pursestrings tight this offseason. On the other hand, if they decide that they are just a few pieces away from obtaining legitimate championship equity in 2025, this could be a push in the right direction and motivate them to build around their existing core of talent.

There haven't been many more details provided about the future of the club since John Stanton's comments last month, but who knows; perhaps these new accolades culminate in a more competitive roster construction strategy heading into next year.