A Grip on Sports: We are all in with the Mariners’ Cal Raleigh – behind the plate, at the plate and in the role of clubhouse leader

A GRIP ON SPORTS • Cal Raleigh. That’s all. That’s the column lede. And that, my friends, is also the name of the best catcher in Mariners’ history. 

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• Four full years in the major leagues, though the first one was truncated. Another third of his fifth. That’s enough time. More than enough, actually, but I’m a conservative person. As we enter June, though, it’s become more than obvious Raleigh has displaced his current manager on the Mount Everest of franchise catchers.

And is well on his way to being chiseled on the Mount Rushmore of M’s players.

That last honorific has to wait. There is a lot of his career left. Much of it, at the least, will be in Seattle, after he agreed in March to a six-year, $105 million contract. A contract that, even though it takes him through the 2031 season, when he will be 35 years old, seems club friendly in this baseball economy.

Why would I say that? The data. It’s overwhelming.

Raleigh is not just the best defensive catcher in the bigs, he’s the best defensive player in the American League. He won the league’s Platinum Glove Award in 2024, an award given to one player in each league based on defensive statistics and a fan vote. And I’m sure if Wilson, who was a standout behind the plate in his 14-year MLB career, had a vote, he would have cast it for the former Florida State standout, even if he was not his manager.

A catcher of Raleigh’s abilities behind the plate would be worth at least $10 million a season even if he hit like Mario Mendoza.

The patron saint of weak hitters, the “Mendoza Line” is a designation coined in 1979 when the shortstop hit .198 for the M’s, the fourth time in his career his batting average was under .200. Back then, it was considered an anomaly for an everyday player to carry such a weak average. Now it’s not a stigma, not as long as the player is capable of hitting more home runs in a single week than Mendoza hit his entire career.

That would be four. A number Raleigh passed this season before Tax Day. And he hasn’t stopped, just as he hasn’t stopped hitting bombs his entire career.

He launched two Tuesday night at T-Mobile, keying the M’s 9-1 win over the Nationals and giving him 19 in the Mariners first 53 games.

Why is that important? It is the most home runs by that game number hit by a catcher in baseball history. Yes, it’s an arbitrary cutoff point, but every MLB record these days – every sport, actually – contains some subjectivity to it. It’s the blessing, and curse, of computerized data.

But when the previous record of 18 was set by one of the position’s all-time greats, the Brooklyn Dodgers’ Roy Campanella in 1955, it’s worth noting. After all, Campy went on to win the National League Most Valuable Player Award that season. (One more obscure record: The A.L. MVP that season was another New York catcher, Yogi Berra, one of only two times two catchers did that in the same season. The other time? The same two did it in 1951.)

Raleigh has done more, in the power aspect of the game, than either of them. Or any other catcher in the history of the game. At least through this point.

With his pair last night, Raleigh has 112 career home runs. No other catcher in MLB history ever hit that many 53 games into his fifth season. Again, an arbitrary data point but it illustrates how impressive the switch hitter has been in that regard.

Plus there is the importance of so many of his hits.

There is the one with the gold star, sure, the one in September of 2022. The foul-pole dinger – literally – that lifted the Mariners into the postseason for the first time in 21 years. But there have been so many other key ones, from game-winning singles to jaw-dropping home runs, they are too numerous to count.

Or remember.

What we already remember, however, is his presence. On the field sure. Next to the plate or behind it. But also his clubhouse presence, where he’s willing to call out the M’s penny-pinching ownership. He did just that after the 2023 season, when one more solid hitter would have made the difference between another postseason and what happened, sitting at home by the thinnest of margins.

At that point, it looked as if Raleigh’s career in Seattle would end as soon as he became a free agent. Another Alex Rodriguez if you will. Instead, he changed agents, dropping Scott Boras, the architect behind Rodriguez’s flight to Texas, and re-upped with the Mariners.

His Seattle legacy is already assured. It is still being written. It may include later chapters when he’s no longer catching. No longer has the pop he does now. Who cares? He’s the best the M’s have ever had behind the plate. One of the best defensive players they’ve produced. One of the best power hitters as well.

Actually, one of the best players. Regardless of position.

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WSU: Around the (current, old and future) Pac-12 and the nation, there are meditation talks going on between the Pac-12 and Mountain West. What’s happening behind closed doors? No one is saying. And that’s a good thing. … We linked this Jon Wilner column on an upcoming scheduling announcement when it appeared in the Mercury News. It ran on the S-R site today. … Wilner has a column in the Mercury News today on the growing chasm between the Power Four conferences. … The SEC is still meeting and doling out news items. … Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr. has a very particular set of skills. … As we say, recruiting never stops, even when papers are signed. Oregon and BYU learned that yesterday. … The Ducks also lost another top recruit. … Colorado picked up two transfers this week. … Don’t send all the blame Lincoln Riley’s way if the Notre Dame series ends. There is another culprit. The CFP. … Boise State lost another receiver … Oregon is in Oklahoma City where it will open the softball World Series against UCLA on Thursday. … If Arizona wants to return to its glory days, it needs to improve its pitching. … Fresno State can’t wait for the NCAA baseball regionals to start.

Gonzaga: As we say, often, recruiting never stops. Theo Lawson has the latest on the Zags’ 2026 recruitment. … The NCAA track and field regionals are this weekend, with GU’s Wil Smith, a Lewis and Clark High alum, once again trying to qualify for the national meet in two distance races. John Blanchette has this story on Thomas’ quest and what is different from last year.  

EWU and Idaho: Around the Big Sky, the basketball team is back at Northern Colorado for offseason workouts. … Cal Poly is Utah’s lone home nonconference football opponent this fall.

Preps: There is a new transfer rule in place for Washington’s high school athletes. It includes less of a penalty for transferring for athletic purposes. How it will impact the hundreds of athletes that switch schools each year is still unknown. … What is known is how transgender participation in athletics has become a political football. Especially in California, where a track athlete’s advancement to the State meet has caused a rule change and caught the eye of President Donald Trump.

Indians: If you are wondering why there isn’t a link to a story about the Indians’ usual Tuesday night game, the reason is simple. There wasn’t a game. Thanks to the one they played on Monday’s holiday, they had the day off Tuesday. In Everett. I wonder if they attended the Mariners’ game? There were plenty of good seats available.

Mariners: We had our say on Cal Raleigh above. The game story from last night’s win over the visiting Nationals, which included a stellar eight-inning outing from Logan Evans? That is here. … The two injured starting pitchers are moving toward returning.

Sonics: Former Seattle star Shawn Kemp pleaded guilty to reduced charges Tuesday in his assault trial. … The Pacers rode Tyrese Haliburton’s triple-double to a 130-121 win over the visiting Knicks and a 3-1 lead in their series. Gonzaga’s Andrew Nembhard had an off-shooting night, finishing 1-of-9 from the field. … The Thunder, with another Zag, Chet Holmgren, will try to top Minnesota and move on to the finals.

Kraken: Edmonton moved within a win off the NHL finals, topping Dallas 4-1 Tuesday night. … Is it time to worry about the coaching hire?

Seahawks: The organized team activities started yesterday and the OTAs hold a lot of interest, especially on the offensive side of the ball. There is a lot to watch, so much so we pass along two stories. … Who is the most underrated Seahawk?

Storm: A late rally fell short and Seattle fell at undefeated Minnesota 82-77.

Sounders: Seattle is looking to extend its home unbeaten streak when it hosts San Diego FC tonight.

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• We’re early today because we have a lot on our plate the rest of the week. So much so we will not be here tomorrow. Or Saturday. Catch us on Friday though. Until later …