Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh named AL All-Star starter

MLB All-Star weekend in Atlanta is going to feature a whole lot of Cal Raleigh.

The Seattle Mariners slugger was named to his first All-Star team as the AL’s starting catcher Wednesday. Raleigh garnered 72% of the votes while up against Toronto’s Alejandro Kirk during Phase 2 of All-Star balloting, which featured the top two vote-getters at each infield position during Phase 1 squaring off for the starting roles in their respective leagues.

“Obviously very blessed, very excited and very honored,” Raleigh told reporters Wednesday at T-Mobile Park. “It’s a cool accomplishment, and I think I’m just glad it’s kind of over, too. Seeing it in your face everywhere was kind of a little uncomfortable, but I was just happy and super excited for it.”

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Raleigh, who will also compete in the Home Run Derby, is just the second Seattle catcher to make the All-Star Game and first since his manager, Dan Wilson, did so in 1996. He’s the first Mariners hitter to be named starter since Nelson Cruz in 2015.

Raleigh leads MLB with 33 home runs and 71 RBIs during scorching-hot first half that’s seen the switch-hitting catcher go from a fan favorite who wasn’t talked about much outside of Seattle to one of the most recognized names in baseball.

The Florida State product’s power surge has him on track to break numerous home run records. His current pace projects out to 63 for this season, which would break Aaron Judge’s AL record of 62, Mickey Mantle’s MLB switch-hitter record of 54 and Salvador Perez’s MLB catcher record of 48.

Raleigh, who won the AL Platinum Glove last season, has also seen major spikes in his batting average and on-base percentage this year. He’s hitting .272 while getting on-base at a .383 clip – 52 points and 71 points, respectively, above his numbers last year.

Along with leading the league in home runs and RBIs, Raleigh is second with a .641 slugging percentage, 1.024 OPS and 5.6 fWAR.

Pitchers and reserves will be announced when the complete All-Star rosters are revealed at 2 p.m. Sunday on ESPN. Those players are determined by player ballot choices and selections made by the Commissioner’s Office.

The All-Star game takes place 5 p.m. Tuesday, July 15, at Truist Park in Atlanta. The Home Run Derby is at 5 p.m. the day prior. The All-Star Game is airing on FOX and the Home Run Derby on ESPN.

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