After a terrific 2025, is Cal Raleigh officially a 'Made Man' in Major League Baseball?
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Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh took home so much hardware at the end of the 2025 season that he probably had to add a few shelves just to hold it all. The switch-hitting slugger captured the nation's attention as he chased not only statistics but the game's top players as well. But the campaign is now over and in the books, and there are plenty of questions left about the emerging superstar.
The 28-year-old Raleigh swatted 60 home runs and drove in 125 runs in 2025. In the process, he set the single-season record for long balls by a catcher and for a switch-hitter. Mariners fans marveled as he chased the American League Most Valuable Player Award, eventually finishing second behind the Yankees' future Hall of Famer, Aaron Judge.
Had he captured the honor, Raleigh would have become just the third MVP in Mariners history, alongside franchise icons Ken Griffey, Jr (1997) and Ichiro Suzuki (2001).
Now? Many are wondering how he will follow up on his amazing year in the upcoming season. Will he thrive once again, taking his place among the 'made men' in Major League Baseball? Or was 2025 an anomaly, and Raleigh, while a good player going forward, never approaches those figures again?
Cal Raleigh will have a lot to prove in 2026
Raleigh's 2025 accomplishments qualify the Mariners' backstopper as one of the best players of the year. Is he going to continue to play near that level, or is Raleigh merely a one-hit wonder?
History and evidence shows over a 100+ year sample size that Raleigh will likely never hit 60 home runs again. It's been done so few times, and it's an ungodly number in the first place. if fans are expecting to see that again, they're going to be disappointed. And to be fair, if Raleigh goes chasing that magical number, it could hurt his overall performance.
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So, it's really more about perception. If Raleigh goes on to be a Gold Glove catcher who averages 35-45 homers a year, then he becomes a perennial All-Star and proves that his prolific performance wasn't just a flash in the pan. That changes how he's viewed by everyone, from executives to umpires.
With another outstanding year or two, Raleigh can establish himself as one of those guys who gets some extra breaks: a shrunken strike zone, the benefit of the doubt amongst umps, or a call on a close play. That's the level where players like Judge reside, and Raleigh can display that he should be part of that group. So, the upcoming year(s) will be a chance for the catcher to take his spot on the pedestal of icons... and maybe end things off with a trip to Cooperstown.
