Jhonny Pereda Has Given Mariners Enough Reason to Move On From Mitch Garver

Pereda is making it harder for Seattle to stick with the old plan.

May 31, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Jhonny Pereda (5) reacts to the stands from first on a single against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the sixth inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: John Froschauer-Imagn Images | John Froschauer-Imagn Images

This would've been an easier argument before Mitch Garver sent one out of Camden on June 9. But still, among the uncomfortable roster conversations the Mariners have coming up, catcher has suddenly entered the chat. Jhonny Pereda has made a real case to take over the backup catcher job. It wouldn’t be an easy decision with Garver still under contract. But at some point, the conversation has to be about what Pereda is giving them right now.

He’s currently riding a seven-game hitting streak. And in limited action, he’s slashing .288/.351/.404 with a 118 OPS+ and two home runs over 52 at-bats. It’s still a small sample, but production is production, and the Mariners aren’t in a position where they should be waving away competent offense from a catcher.

Garver, meanwhile, is slashing .198/.323/.325 with an 88 OPS+ and three home runs over 83 at-bats.

Since Cal Raleigh landed on the IL on May 14, Mitch Garver and Jhonny Pereda have combined for 5 homers and a .793 OPS in 23 games. Only three teams have had a higher OPS from the position in that stretch.

— Adam Jude (@A_Jude) June 10, 2026

Jhonny Pereda Is Making the Mariners’ Backup Catcher Choice Obvious

Pereda was supposed to help cover innings, keep things steady and avoid turning the depth catcher spot into a panic button while Cal Raleigh has been on the IL. But instead, he’s given much more than expected.

He has looked comfortable behind the plate. He’s given Seattle actual offensive value, and in the Mariners’ most recent win over the Orioles, he made an enormous play that changed what could have been a disaster inning for Matt Brash.

With Brash teetering in the seventh inning, Pereda used Seattle’s final ABS challenge on a full-count, bases-loaded pitch to Pete Alonso. The original call was ball four. And the challenge flipped it into strike three. Instead of another run scoring and the inning continuing to spiral, Brash suddenly had a second out and eventually escaped the inning.

After the game, Brash said it was “kind of the turning point in the game” and added that he was happy Pereda “had the stones to do it” in that spot, with Seattle out of challenges if he was wrong. 

Wow, a huge ABS challenge -- and a delayed one, too -- from Jhonny Pereda just now.

That flips a full-count, bases-loaded walk instead to a K and takes a would-be run off the board.

Brash then gets out of the jam altogether by inducing a groundout to Colton Cowser. pic.twitter.com/yat6GLsJs0

— Daniel Kramer (@DKramer_) June 9, 2026

And that is where Pereda’s case starts to feel bigger than just the hitting streak.

Don’t get it confused, a seven-game hit streak is great.  But when a backup catcher is also making high-leverage decisions that directly help the Mariners win games, the argument changes.

Now, there are definitely more layers. Garver has been excellent with ABS challenges, and that cannot just be brushed aside. Garver has won 18 of his 22 challenges with a 12.3 net advantage. 

Pereda has not been in that same category overall. He’s won eight of his 21 challenges, which is a clear gap. But that number should come with some context. This is still a catcher getting familiar with Seattle’s staff, learning pitchers’ shapes, tendencies, misses and comfort zones in real time. Knowing the zone is one thing. Knowing exactly how a specific pitcher’s pitch is going to behave from a specific release, with a specific umpire, is another thing entirely.

That doesn’t excuse the gap. It explains why the Mariners should be careful before reducing this whole debate to ABS success rate.

Because in other areas, Pereda’s case is pretty clean. He’s been the better offensive player. He has shown better framing. He has a slightly better pop time. And, he struck out Shohei Ohtani…c’mon. 

Position player Jhonny Pereda broke out the heat to strikeout Ohtani ... and kept the ball 😂 pic.twitter.com/A8TXdjizI0

— MLB (@MLB) May 16, 2025

But really, Pereda is hitting .300 in a small sample against lefties and .286 against righties. Garver is hitting .282 against lefties but just .114 against righties. Do we really need to say more? That’s really where the Garver argument falls apart.

If Garver were still hammering left-handed pitching and giving the Mariners enough offense to justify his roster spot, this would be a different conversation. But he isn’t. He hasn’t given Seattle enough at the plate, and that is especially hard to stomach when the supposed temporary option is giving the lineup better at-bats.

When Raleigh returns, Seattle should want the freedom to ease him back into catching if needed. Maybe that means more DH days. And if that is the plan, then the backup catcher spot becomes even more important.

Why would the Mariners willingly weaken their offense in those games?

If Pereda is the catcher who gives them the better chance to survive Raleigh’s DH days without punting lineup value, then that has to matter more than Garver’s name recognition or contract status. The Mariners should push aside any nostalgia, and remember that they are trying to win baseball games.

Jhonny Pereda has given them enough reason to keep on the roster when Raleigh returns.