Cal Raleigh

Cal Raleigh's Biography

As one of the most prominent catchers in the Major League Baseball (MLB), Caleb John Raleigh is known for his exceptional talent and contributions to the game. Born on November 26, 1996, Raleigh initiated his professional baseball career with the Seattle Mariners in 2021. The North Carolina native often goes by the nickname “Big Dumper.”

Raleigh’s journey as a baseball player traces back to his time at Smoky Mountain High School, situated in his hometown of Sylva, North Carolina. After high school, he honed his skills in playing college baseball for the Florida State Seminoles at Florida State University (FSU) — further establishing his love for the game and showcasing his innate abilities.

In the summer of 2016, Raleigh rendered a standout performance while playing collegiate summer baseball with the Harwich Mariners as part of the respected Cape Cod Baseball League. In his junior year at FSU (2018), he achieved an esteemed record of .326/.447/.583 with an impressive total of 13 home runs and 54 RBIs over 62 games.

Raleigh’s promising career received a boost when he was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the third round of the 2018 Major League Baseball draft. He made his professional debut with the Low-A Everett AquaSox and exhibited remarkable performance, batting .288 with eight home runs and 29 RBIs in just 38 games. In 2019, Raleigh kick-started the season with the High-A Modesto Nuts, earning him recognition as a California League All-Star.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the cancellation of the 2020 minor league season, Raleigh came back stronger in 2021. He was assigned to the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers to start the season, where he showcased an impressive performance, managing to hit .324/.377/.608 with nine home runs and 36 RBI in 44 games.

His outstanding performance led to his selection to the 40-man roster, promoting him to the major leagues for the first time on July 11. During a game against the Los Angeles Angels on the same day, he made his long-awaited MLB debut as a starting catcher, although the game did not yield any hits for Raleigh.

His first career hits and RBIs arrived on July 20 in a triumph against the Colorado Rockies. Shortly after, on July 23, he hit his first career home run off Oakland Athletics starter Frankie Montas. The 2021 season concluded with Raleigh achieving a .180/.223/.309 slash line, 25 hits, 12 doubles, 2 home runs, 13 RBIs and 52 strikeouts in 47 games.

The following 2022 season saw Raleigh maintaining a position on the major league roster, yet he stuck with Tacoma. He returned to the Mariners on May 7 replacing the injured catcher Tom Murphy and emerged as a major offensive asset, helping the team secure seven victories in ten games by June.

Raleigh marked a significant achievement on September 30 when he hit a pinch-hit, walk-off home run against the Oakland Athletics. This victory secured the Mariners’ first playoff trip since their 2001 season, effectively ending the longest active playoff drought amongst the four major North American sports leagues.

By the end of the season, Raleigh led all MLB catchers with 27 home runs, setting a new Mariners record for the most home runs in a season by a catcher. He also played a crucial role in the Mariners’ postseason, hitting a two-run home run off of Alek Manoah during the Wild Card series against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Despite his contribution and exemplary performance, he narrowly missed out on the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards at the catcher position to Jose Trevino of the New York Yankees and Alejandro Kirk of the Toronto Blue Jays, respectively.

In a notable 10-1 victory against the Boston Red Sox on May 15, 2023, Raleigh became the first-ever catcher in the 112-year history of Fenway Park to score home runs from both sides of the plate in the same game, achieving this feat in back-to-back plate appearances.

As of 2024, Raleigh had proved his talent and worth. He especially shone during a game on June 10, 2024, where he hit a walk-off grand slam, pushing the Seattle Mariners to an 8-4 comeback victory against the Chicago White Sox. Throughout his baseball journey, Raleigh’s talent and drive have influenced his team’s success, cementing his place within the sports world.