In a significant achievement for the Seattle Mariners, Cal Raleigh has been recognized as the Sporting News MLB Player of the Year. This accolade, awarded on Friday, marks Raleigh as only the third player in the franchise's history to receive such an honor. Joining him in the top three were New York Yankees star Aaron Judge in second place and Shohei Ohtani in third.
Raleigh stands out as the second catcher ever to win this prestigious award, which has been presented by The Sporting News since 1936. The only other catcher to achieve this was the legendary Johnny Bench in 1970. Reflecting on Raleigh's remarkable season, Mariners' president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto noted, “If it wasn’t the best season that a catcher has ever had, it’s certainly one of the best two.” He praised Raleigh's consistency, home run production, and the endurance required to play catcher virtually every day.
Raleigh's impressive performance was recognized by over 300 MLB players who participated in the voting process, which took place between September 10 and October 10. His achievement aligns him with Mariners greats such as Alex Rodriguez, who won the award in 1996, and Ken Griffey Jr., who followed suit in 1997. Notably, Griffey was also named the AL MVP that same year.
Throughout the 2025 season, Cal Raleigh made history by hitting 60 home runs, becoming only the seventh player in MLB history to reach this milestone. He also recorded 125 RBIs and caught 1,072 innings, ranking third in baseball and first in the American League. In the playoffs, Raleigh showcased his skills further, catching all 113 innings while batting .304, hitting five homers, and achieving an impressive 1.081 OPS in 12 games.
Mariners' manager Dan Wilson highlighted the importance of Raleigh's durability during the season, stating, “To put up the numbers he did as consistently as he did from beginning to end takes a special person.” His ability to withstand the physical and mental demands of being a catcher was pivotal in his success this year.
This award marks the first major recognition for Raleigh in the offseason, with anticipation building for the upcoming AL MVP award announcement next month. Historically, winning the Sporting News award does not always correlate with winning the AL MVP from the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA). While there has been alignment in recent years, there have been notable exceptions, such as in 2016 when Jose Altuve won the Sporting News award but lost the MVP to Mike Trout.
Mariners fans and Raleigh alike are eagerly awaiting the results, which will be revealed on November 13. With his outstanding performance, Raleigh has certainly made a compelling case for the MVP title.
