Do the Seattle Mariners have their catcher of the future in Luke Stevenson?
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In 2025, there's no doubt that the Seattle Mariners had the best catcher in all of Major League Baseball. As Cal Raleigh emerged as an MVP candidate and nearly swept every major award, he transcended the position, achieving heights that fans and historians had never witnessed before. At the same time, he also became a valued offensive weapon - one whose health the team will safeguard as his career progresses.
Adding to that equation, list the name Luke Stevenson. The 21-year-old prospect drafted out of the University of North Carolina is on the perfect timeline to step in and lighten the load on Raleigh in a couple of years. As time passes, the All-Star catcher will need to consider appearing more as a DH or first baseman. If Stevenson fills that role, the M's can keep Cal Raleigh's big bat in the lineup and operating at a high level for years to come.
"Stevenson could have signed for top-five-rounds money as a North Carolina high schooler in 2023," MLB.com writes about the young backstop. "He opted instead to stay local and play for the Tar Heels, claimed North Carolina's starting job as a freshman, and slammed 14 homers before playing with the U.S. collegiate national team during the summer. He went deep 19 times this spring as a sophomore and was considered one of the best catching prospects available.
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"A physical left-handed hitter, Stevenson has a propensity for hitting balls hard and launching them in the air," MLB.com added to its assessment. "His power plays from left-center to the right-field foul pole and could translate into 25 homers per season. He has a reasonably disciplined approach but struggles to make contact against quality fastballs and changeups."
Cooling down Cal in the coming years
While Raleigh is still a top-notch defender, it's more about sparing his back and knees that makes Stevenson a perfect fit for Seattle. The younger catcher is expected to start the season at the high A or Double-A level, which should line him up to compete for a roster spot in 2027 or '28.
Stevenson has shown enough promise that the Mariners felt comfortable parting ways with MLB-ready Harry Ford, who was once considered Raleigh's heir apparent. However, he was sent off to the Nationals this offseason for reliever Jose Ferrer.
Instead, the club went with a veteran stopgap in Andrew Knizner. Clearly, they believe that the long-term option is now Stevenson, who will have a lot to prove in 2026 if he wants to break through with the Mariners next season.
