ESPN’s Jeff Passan has incredibly high praise for Mariners’ Cal Raleigh

Apr 22, 2025, 1:04 PM | Updated: 1:12 pm

Editor, Seattle Sports

Cal Raleigh was already good enough to win a 2024 Gold Glove, then a Platinum Glove as the best defender in the American League regardless of position, and sign a six-year, $105 million contract with the Seattle Mariners.

And it still seems like maybe he was just getting started.

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The 28-year-old switch-hitting catcher has been one of the most fearsome hitters in baseball so far this season, as he entered Tuesday tied for the MLB lead with nine home runs, as well as the ninth-best slugging mark (.605) and 17th-best OPS (.948).

He’s especially been on a tear for his last 13 games, a period in which he owns a .296/.377/.815 slash line for a 1.192 OPS with eight homers, four doubles, 11 runs and 14 RBIs in 61 plate appearances.

Is this just a hot streak from the “Big Dumper” that Mariners fans have come to know, or a legitimate jump in who he can be as a hitter?

“I don’t know that the two are mutually exclusive,” ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan said when he was posed that question Tuesday on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk. “I think it could be a little bit of both. What we’re seeing, though, is the guy who the Mariners gave $100 million guaranteed to.”

Sure seems like money well spent right now. Especially when you consider one other thing Passan said about Raleigh.

“I think you’re looking at the best catcher in Major League Baseball right now.”

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Passan doesn’t think Raleigh settling his contract situation just prior to the season is the reason he’s been on fire, though he says that can sometimes be the case like with perennial Cleveland Guardians All-Star José Ramírez.

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“I don’t know that it’s applicable to Cal Raleigh,” Passan said. “I think he has such strong constitution and belief in himself. You know, this is a guy who did it in youth ball, and did it in high school, and did it in college, and did it in the minor leagues, and is now doing it in Major League Baseball… With Cal Raleigh, though, I don’t think that was the raison d’etre here (to sign a long-term contract). I think that he wanted to be a Seattle Mariner.

“I think he sees something in this organization and in this team that’s worth sticking around for and seeing through the end. And man, just to know that you have this anchor that bridges the offensive side and the pitching side, and somebody who is really well liked and really well respected, to have him there – the closest facsimile I can think of is Salvador Perez in Kansas City.”

That’s a pretty good player to be compared to, and Raleigh certainly has a lot in common with the nine-time All-Star, five-time Gold Glove winner and 2015 World Series MVP. But Passan even thinks Raleigh could be better.

“I think Cal is probably better than Salvy ever was defensively – and (Perez) is a guy who’s won multiple Gold Gloves,” Passan said. “But they are low on-base, not great batting average, big power guys who command respect in a room and on the field. And having seen what Salvador Perez has done in his career, going to the World Series in 2014, winning it in 2015, getting the Royals back to the playoffs last season, it’s a security blanket that the Mariners have now knowing that Cal Raleigh is going to be around for the prime of his career.”

Now back to the thing Passan said a bit earlier: Raleigh being the best catcher in MLB. How does he match up with the competition?

“(Milwaukee’s) William Contreras is a good catcher, but defensively and offensively this season, he’s not on Cal Raleigh’s level. (Baltimore’s) Adley Rutschman is a a good catcher, (but) offensively it’s not even close at this point. And we have to acknowledge also that Cal Raleigh plays a lot. Like, you just don’t see catchers out there every day like him. And so it’s a weak position at this point.

“The only argument I think that you could make would be (the Dodgers’) Will Smith, but I feel like Cal Raleigh is so much better defensively than Will Smith is. That’s the separator.”

ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan joins and Salk at 8:30 a.m. each Tuesday during the baseball season. Hear this week’s conversation in the podcast at this link, or in either the video or audio player near the top of this post. Catch Brock and Salk from 6-10 a.m. weekdays on Seattle Sports.