Cal Raleigh and Harry Ford: Will the Mariners have a catching dilemma down the line?

The Seattle Mariners have two young catchers in their organization that have fans and analysts buzzing with excitement about their potential. Cal Raleigh made his major league debut in 2021 and has shown flashes of his potential as both an offensive and defensive player. Meanwhile, Harry Ford was selected in the first round of the 2021 MLB Draft and has been highly touted as one of the best catching prospects in the game. So which catcher will be the future of the Mariners?

Let's take a closer look. It is important to remember throughout all of this that it's a down the road question, and not an immeadiate one. Harry Ford is young, and likely wouldn't see the bigs until 2025... and that's if things go well in the minors.

Cal Raleigh, as previously mentioned, had a strong second season for the Mariners hitting for a .211 average, 27 home runs and 63 RBI's in 2022 for the Mariners. Raleigh is a switch hitter with power potential and a strong arm behind the plate. In minor league career, as he threw out an impressive 29% of attempted base stealers.

Harry Ford, on the other hand, is just 20 years old and made his professional debut in 2021. He was selected by the Mariners with the 12th overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft and was regarded as one of the top catching prospects in the draft class. Ford is a right-handed hitter with a compact swing and good bat speed. He's also a strong defensive catcher with a quick release and good footwork behind the plate. In high school, he threw out 44% of attempted base stealers.

So which catcher will be the future for the Mariners? It's difficult to say for certain, as both players have their strengths and weaknesses.

In terms of age, Raleigh has a significant advantage as he's already had some major league experience and is 26 years old. Ford, on the other hand, is just starting his professional career and will need some time to develop in the minor leagues.

Offensively, both players have shown promise. Raleigh has more power potential, while Ford has a more compact swing and a knack for making contact. However, it's important to note that Ford has yet to face major league pitching, so it's unclear how his skills will translate at the next level.

Defensively, both players are solid catchers with good arms and the ability to throw out base stealers. However, Raleigh has more experience and has shown more consistency in this area. Ford is still young and will need some time to refine his defensive skills.

Ultimately, it's too early to say which catcher will be the future for the Mariners. Both Raleigh and Ford have shown promise and have the potential to be impact players at the major league level. It's possible that the Mariners could utilize both players in some capacity, with Raleigh serving as the primary catcher and Ford getting some playing time at other positions.

It's exciting to see that the Seattle Mariners have two exciting young catchers in Cal Raleigh and Harry Ford, both of whom have the potential to be impact players at the major league level. It's difficult to say for certain which player will be the future for the team, as both have their strengths and weaknesses.