It's time for a conversation about whether Cal Raleigh is Mariners' true MVP

If you somehow haven't noticed, Cal Raleigh is having a career year.

The Seattle Mariners' backstop has been a core part of the team since his first full season in 2022, but he has taken a massive leap forward recently. Prior to the 2025 season, he averaged a 111 OPS+, a respectable mark for someone playing a premium defensive position at a Platinum Glove level. This season, he has posted a 163 OPS+ while accumulating 113 RBI, leading all of MLB in home runs (53), and making history. He is still the best offensive player in the lineup, but signs of fatigue are starting to show.

His second-half numbers are a far cry from what he was able to do before the All-Star break. His batting average has decreased from .259 in the first half to just .209 in the second half, while his strikeout rate has jumped four percentage points. His plate discipline has begun to suffer as the opposition has begun pitching around him, and he hasn't made enough of an adjustment. But while his season has started to hit the breaks, another Mariner is putting his foot on the gas.

Julio Rodríguez's 2nd-half performance has elevated him to be the team's most valuable player

Now that this is his fourth big-league season, fans shouldn't be surprised by Julio Rodríguez getting hot after the All-Star break. As he tends to break out in such an explosive way, it's hard not to be amazed. He has a .904 OPS in the second half and is having the best defensive year of his career. He has accumulated eight Defensive Runs Saved, the third-most of American League center fielders, which shouldn't be surprising given how many outstanding catches he has made this year.

Julio's five-tool skillset is what makes him one of the most complete players in the sport. With a 125 OPS+, 26 stolen bases, arm strength in the 95th percentile, and stellar defensive results, it's no mystery why he has more rWAR (6.0) than any other AL center fielder and has overtaken Raleigh as the most valuable player on the roster by the metric.

This is excellent news. Not only do the Mariners have two players that can and will receive serious AL MVP consideration, the other names on the roster are stepping up in big ways and many are comfortably exceeding expectations. As the team seeks to carry their positive momentum through the end of the regular season and into the playoffs, it's the perfect time for everyone to heat up. What seemed like a floundering squad that had a good chance of missing the playoffs entirely has now become one of the AL's most serious contenders.

Even if things don't work out this year and the World Series continue to elude Seattle, both Julio and Cal will be under team control for years to come. What may seem like a friendly competition between two teammates could actually be the start to a new era of Mariners baseball.