Imagine a single player who can change the entire momentum of a crucial playoff game with one swing, guide a rookie pitcher through a high-pressure situation, and shut down a potent offense. That's exactly what Cal Raleigh did in Game 1 of the ALCS, proving his immense value to the Seattle Mariners.
While the American League MVP ballots were already cast before the playoffs even began, meaning Cal Raleigh's postseason heroics won't directly influence the voting, his performance in that opening game against the Toronto Blue Jays (a 3-1 Mariners victory) felt like a powerful statement. It was as if he was saying, "This is what an MVP looks like." The same situation applied to Aaron Judge before the Yankees' elimination.
Think about the context: the Mariners were coming off a grueling 15-inning victory against the Detroit Tigers to clinch their Division Series. They then had to endure a cross-continent flight from Seattle to Toronto. To top it off, they entrusted the crucial Game 1 start to rookie right-hander Bryce Miller, pitching on just three days' rest – kicking off the team’s first ALCS appearance in 24 long years. Talk about pressure!
And right in the middle of it all was Cal Raleigh. He wasn't just catching; he was a slugger, a receiver, a "pitch whisperer" (someone who expertly guides pitchers), a "Kevin Gausman dominator" (more on that later!), and, according to some, the "owner" of the Rogers Centre. Plus, for anyone who remembered some questionable comments made by Blue Jays manager John Schneider back in April 2023, he was also playing the role of avenger.
Let's be clear: this isn't about re-litigating the MVP debate between Raleigh and Judge. Both had incredible, historic seasons, albeit in different ways. If there had been a tie, similar to the 1979 National League outcome between Keith Hernandez and Willie Stargell, it wouldn't have felt out of place. My personal opinion is that there was no wrong choice.
But here's where it gets controversial: The sheer scope of what Raleigh does, night after night, is truly remarkable. He's playing the most demanding defensive position on the field, catching every game, and simultaneously hitting home runs at a rate unmatched by any switch-hitter in major league history. It's almost superhuman.
Let's break down what Raleigh accomplished in that single game:
- He blasted a sixth-inning home run off Kevin Gausman, ending the pitcher's streak of 15 consecutive retired batters and tying the game 1-1. This was the Mariners' first run of the night and a huge momentum shift.
- He made a timely mound visit to Bryce Miller in the first inning, helping the rookie escape a 27-pitch frame that began with a leadoff home run by George Springer and included two walks. That visit was crucial in preventing a potential early blow-up.
- He expertly guided Miller through six innings and then caught three different relievers, all of whom pitched scoreless innings.
Against a Blue Jays team that had just pummeled the Yankees for 34 runs in four games, the Mariners retired 23 of their last 24 hitters, finishing the game on just 100 pitches. For Raleigh, the 6-foot-2, 235-pound catcher who plays through constant aches and pains, it was, as he put it, "just another day at the yard."
Including the postseason, Raleigh boasts an impressive .471 batting average (8-for-17) with four home runs against Gausman, who is considered one of the best pitchers in baseball. At the Rogers Centre specifically, he's hitting .315 (17-for-54) with nine home runs and 19 RBIs. He seems to thrive in that stadium.
After the game, much of the conversation centered around Raleigh's mound visit to Miller in the first inning. Miller humorously downplayed the content of the conversation, saying, "Sometimes he thinks he has jokes, and I give him a courtesy laugh… and settle back down and keep going." It seems Raleigh's presence alone is enough to calm his pitchers.
Logan Gilbert, the Mariners' Game 2 starter, offered his own amusing perspective on Raleigh's "weird mound visits." "Sometimes he doesn't say anything, or maybe I'm missing what he says," Gilbert said. "But he just kind of walks out there and stands there and looks at me. It's kind of awkward sometimes. I think there's an intention there. I'm trying to figure out what it is." And this is the part most people miss: Even if the pitchers can't articulate what Raleigh says or does, they all acknowledge its positive impact. It's a testament to his leadership and understanding of the game.
Miller and Gilbert both conceded that Raleigh always times his visits perfectly, slowing pitchers down and helping them regain their focus. Mariners manager Dan Wilson praised Raleigh, stating that he calmed Miller down during an inning that "could have exploded pretty quickly." He's not just a catcher; he's a mental coach on the field.
Despite Miller settling down, the Mariners trailed 1-0 entering the sixth inning. In Raleigh's first at-bat against Gausman, he singled on a first-pitch fastball. In his second, Gausman threw him five consecutive split-fingered fastballs, resulting in a strikeout. His next opportunity came in the sixth, with two outs and nobody on base.
After getting ahead in the count 2-0, Raleigh took a called strike on a perfectly executed split-finger fastball. Gausman then practically bounced his next splitter, and Raleigh fouled it off for strike two. Then came another splitter, down, but not quite low enough. Raleigh crushed it to right-center field for his 62nd home run of the season, including the playoffs. The game was tied!
"I just choked up and wasn't trying to do too much," Raleigh explained. "I was just trying to get bat on ball and really put something in play, maybe find a hole. I didn't want to punch out again." He made a crucial adjustment and delivered in a clutch moment.
Following a walk to Julio Rodríguez, Blue Jays manager John Schneider pulled Gausman after just 76 pitches. Jorge Polanco later drove in runs in the sixth and eighth innings, but it was Raleigh's home run that, in the words of third baseman Eugenio Suárez, "woke us up."
Mariners hitting coach Kevin Seitzer elaborated, "Gausman was splitting him to death the whole night. If he would have made the pitch and got it down where it was strike to ball, you never know. But Cal saw it up and put a good swing on it. And the cool thing was, it was a controlled swing. He wasn't trying to do too much, and he crushed it. That's how it works for him. He makes adjustments really, really well."
It’s interesting to remember that back in April 2023, Schneider had said that Raleigh was "not very tough to pitch to when you execute your pitches." Even then, coming off a game in which Raleigh hit two homers in a 10-8 Mariners win, the manager's remark was cringeworthy.
"He's hitting .200," Schneider had said. "I know he's done damage against us, and I think if you execute, he's obviously got big damage potential and he's got a lot of strikeout potential, too. And when you execute your pitches, you usually get the job done." Talk about a statement that aged poorly!
Raleigh responded to Schneider's comments a year later, stating, "I know a lot of guys have beef with him in this league," adding, "if you don't have anything nice, don't say it all, I guess, if you don't want it to come back on you." He clearly remembered the slight.
Unsurprisingly, Schneider was asked to address his previous remarks before Sunday night's game. He admitted, "Well, for one, that's me as a young interim manager saying what I said to try to fire up my team, which obviously I shouldn't have said." He continued, "I've got a ton of respect for him as a player and where he's taken his game both at the plate and behind the plate to do it as well as he's done it and to catch as many games as he catches. … I don't want that to be a narrative in this series at all. I think he's a phenomenal player."
Schneider's change of heart speaks volumes about Raleigh's growth and impact. Sunday night, Raleigh once again demonstrated his value. He's hitting .400 (10-for-25) in the postseason, while the rest of the Mariners are hitting just .181 (35-for-193). He's also caught every inning of every game (61 in total) after logging 1,072 innings behind the plate during the regular season, a workload surpassed only by J.T. Realmuto and William Contreras.
Will he win the AL MVP award? We'll find out in November. But in Game 1, Raleigh showcased his unique intelligence and skill, stamping his authority on the game in ways that only he can. Then, with a shrug, he prepared to do it all again in Game 2, less than 24 hours later. He's a true workhorse and a vital asset to the Mariners.
What do you think? Was Cal Raleigh's performance in Game 1 enough to sway your opinion on his MVP caliber? Do you believe catchers are often undervalued in MVP discussions? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
