Mariners' Cal Raleigh has already secured an all-time season by a catcher

Cal Raleigh’s 2025 season is nothing short of historic, and it’s time the baseball world joins Seattle Mariners fans in fully appreciating just how unprecedented his performance has been.

Raleigh has become well-known for his clutch power and knack for coming through in big moments, elevating his game to levels that put him in the company of the greatest offensive catchers the sport has ever seen.

Cal Raleigh has already etched his name next to some of the great catchers in history

With 47 long balls so far, Raleigh sits just one home run shy of tying Salvador Perez's all-time single-season home run record for a catcher, a feat that would cement his name forever in baseball history.

Further, his 167 OPS+ currently ranks as the third-best ever for a catcher not named Mike Piazza, a staggering achievement given how Piazza is universally recognized as the gold standard for offensive catchers.

Even more mind-boggling is his slugging percentage. Raleigh is flirting with the .600 mark at .588, something only two other catchers in the history of the American League have ever managed. The last to do it came nearly a century ago when Rudy York slugged .651 in 1937, a reminder of how rare and significant his season has been.

Raleigh is not just hitting for power. He’s sustaining elite-level production over the course of an entire season, while handling the most demanding defensive position on the field.

Take his WAR, for example. Raleigh is on pace for 9.0 WAR, a number that no catcher, ever, has reached. Not Johnny Bench, not Yogi Berra, not Mike Piazza. The fact that he is on track to eclipse them all highlights how his season isn’t just great; it’s historic in every sense of the word.

Given all of this, Raleigh shouldnt just be in the MVP conversation. He should be the frontrunner. His combination of elite offensive production, defensive leadership, and positional value far outweighs what we’ve seen from any other player this year, including the insane year Aaron Judge is putting together for the New York Yankees.

Catchers rarely get the recognition they deserve in MVP voting, but ignoring Raleigh’s season would be a disservice to the game itself. If there were ever a year to hand an MVP to a catcher, it’s this one. Cal Raleigh is redefining what’s possible behind the plate, and 2025 should end with him hoisting the MVP trophy.