Cal Raleigh

Caleb John Raleigh
(The Big Dumper)

• Bats Both, Throws Right
• Height 6' 3", Weight 215 lb.
• School Florida State University
• High School Smoky Mountain High School
• Debut July 11, 2021

• Born November 26, 1996 in Cullowhee, NC USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Cal Raleigh is the son of Todd Raleigh and the nephew of Matt Raleigh. He was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 3rd round of the 2018 amateur draft out of Florida State University.

He reached the majors on July 1, 2021 and played 47 games with Seattle that season, batting .180 with 2 homers and 13 RBIs, for an OPS+ of 48. He was much better in 2022, however, as he won the team's starting catching job. On September 30th, he had the hit that put the Mariners in the postseason for the first time in 21 years. Pinch-hitting for Luis Torrens with two out in the bottom of the 9th of a 1-1 game against the Oakland Athletics, he drove a pitch from Domingo Acevedo 400 feet into the stands for a walk-off homer. The blast gave the M's a 2-1 win, and combined with a loss by the Baltimore Orioles earlier that day, confirmed that they would be one of three wild card teams in the American League. He then hit a key two-run homer in the 1st inning of Game 1 of the Wild Card Series off Alek Manoah of the Toronto Blue Jays on October 7th, as the Mariners went on to a 4-0 win. He added 3 hits in Game 2 to help the Mariners complete a sweep, but was limited to a single hit in 14 at-bats in the Division Series against the Houston Astros.

On May 15, 2023, he did something that was unprecedented in the 112-year history of Fenway Park, becoming the first catcher to hit homers from both sides of the plate in one game, in a 10-1 win by the Mariners over the Boston Red Sox. This was especially remarkable given that a power-hitting switch-hitter, Jason Varitek, who Raleigh had grown up idolizing, was behind the dish for many years for Boston. He hit .232 in 145 games that season, with 30 homers and 75 RBIs - all personal bests - leading to an OPS+ of 112. The Mariners fell barely short pf a return to the postseason however. In 2024, he added another feat to his growing personal list when he ended a game on June 10th against the Chicago White Sox by hitting a grand slam off Jordan Leasure in the bottom of the 9th. The Mariners had come back from being 4-0 down after seven innings and had tied the game in the 8th on - of all things - a squeeze bunt by Luke Raley off closer Michael Kopech before placing their first three men on base in the 9th. Cal's big hit gave them an 8-4 win. It was his second career walk-off homer.

Notable Achievements

• 20-Home Run Seasons: 2 (2022 & 2023)
• 30-Home Run Seasons: 1 (2023)

Further Reding

• Daniel Kramer: "Raleigh adds another signature HR to his reel: Catcher had clinched postseason berth for Mariners with walk-off blast", mlb.com, October 7, 2022. [1]
• Daniel Kramer: "Raleigh makes Fenway history, one-ups childhood hero Varitek", mlb.com, May 15, 2023. [2]
• Daniel Kramer: "'Being a dumb hitter' the secret to Raleigh's success: Mariners catcher's latest game-changing hit a reflection of renewed approach at the plate", mlb.com, June 12, 2024. [3]

Related Sites

• Cal Raleigh on mlb.com
• Florida State University bio