Cal Raleigh’s 60 HR Season Lifts Seattle Mariners to First Division Title in 24 Years

For the first time since 2001, the Seattle Mariners take the American League West and Cal Riley hit not one but two. He’s up to 60. I thought this was cool. Kratz, you pointed out how much the MVP odds have shifted too for Cal. But here’s the celebration. Backto back bottle popping. Now, we’ve documented this. Players don’t drink like they used to, but you do get backtoback nights of this. And it’s pretty awesome. It’s fun, right? Yeah. The Rockies might have a chance tonight to win. Oh, wait. I actually don’t think they will. I’m just saying. No, I I mean, they have a chance because they they’re two nights in a row the Mariners popping and the Mariners don’t know who they’re pitching. They’re, you know, it’s not it’s not maybe a bullpen game. I don’t know. But here here’s the thing. Like, if I’ve been saying this for months, Cal Raleigh should win the MVP. It’s a historical year. I said months ago he was going to get to 60. You all laughed at me. He got to 60 and now what? Because he should still be the MVP. I know Judge’s numbers are better across the board, but the position he plays, the first time they’ve won their division in 24 years, 60 home runs, most homers from a switch hitter, most homers from a catcher by far. It’s ridiculous. He should win this award. And I know people can make the argument judges OPS and this and that, but Cal plays such an important role on this team as not only a catcher, but the leader. Listen, when they clinch the playoffs, who did they interview? They didn’t interview Julio Rodriguez. They had Kyle Raleigh on the field. That tells you everything you know about who they think their most valuable player is. You also can speak to something that not many can. Same with Kratz. Kyle Raleigh plays the catcher position. The catcher position versus the outfield position. I don’t think numbers do justice what the difference is. Look, look at the numbers for most catchers in baseball. Quantify it. You can’t quantify it. Look at the offensive numbers for most catchers in baseball and then look at Cal. You can’t quantify it. You can’t quantify what Cal Raleigh does offensively. And let’s not forget, he won the Platinum Globe last year defensively. Platinum Globe. Well, some people are like, “Well, not this year.” His defense is very good still this year. Don’t worry. He’s a very He’s If he’s not the best defensive catcher in baseball, in American League, who is? I got to look at the framing metrics this year. He’s up there. He’s up there. He can throw. He blocks. He plays every day. And he hits homers. Sounds like a great catcher to me. And his pitching staff’s really good. You do get some credit for calling a game. Whether it’s you you’re not throwing a pitch, I get it. But you get some credit for calling a good game. And he’s led this team. But is it historic enough? That I to me I think that’s the question because recent history says if it’s a historic enough season, then he will win it. Then he will win the MVP. Because you go back to 22 and you look at Show’s season, he had a better season than Aaron Judge. He was number four in Sai Young. He ended up being number two in in MVP voting. And you would say he had a better season value-wise, but Judge was historic. So, is Cal’s historic enough to beat out Judge this year? I don’t think it’s close. because you have to decide Cal or Judge. And I think most people should just be deciding Kyle. So I don’t think the voting’s going to be as close as people believe it will be. I don’t Judge had an amazing season, but it’s not Cal Raleigh. There are a lot of other factors, too. Some people are going to get after you, AJ, for saying, “Oh, well, they haven’t won a division in a billion years.” And they’re going to say, “I don’t care. History doesn’t matter.” If it doesn’t matter, then Cal Raleigh, if if it doesn’t matter, then it definitely matters. When Aaron Judge won the MVP, he broke the all-time home run record. If it didn’t matter, maybe Show it that year. Well, they’re saying the team performance shouldn’t matter that they won the division. I’m like, most valuable player also valuable. Also, I know this could be a little bit out in left field, but some teams have not won much. And you can point to ownership, GMs, the player personnel, whatever. Do you believe that some ballparks make it more difficult to win? Like do you I mean Colorado is the extreme example, but for the last few years we’re like the offense is brutal in Seattle for home and for the opponent, right? And then all of a sudden here’s Cal Raleigh saying, “Nah, we’re good. 60 home runs in Seattle.” That is a tough freaking park. It’s maybe not the excuse it should be, but that’s a tough park to hit home runs in. Seattle versus Yankee Stadium. Agreed. Agreed. Come on. Agreed. This isn’t even This shouldn’t even be an argument. Listen, Aaron Judge is having a great year again. But this shouldn’t be an argument. Historical year. Historical alltime year. That’s it. That’s the answer. This is This is a year we’ll probably never see again. Ever from a catcher ever. He should be the MVP. He He should win it. And I’m sorry. And Yankee fans come at me. I I don’t care because I’m right. And you are homers. [Laughter] Homers. I mean, are we okay? Are we okay with the first ever MVP having a batting average this low? Yeah. Batting average doesn’t matter anymore. They tell us all the time batting average doesn’t matter. Since when does batting average matter? The sport doesn’t value it at all. Exactly. Luis Arise would be making $20 million a year if batting average mattered. The sport does not give a crap about batting average. Talk to any office. They want homers. They want homers. Guess who’s leading the world in homers? Kyle Raleigh, talk to any front office about batting average. What will they say? Huh? What’s his batting average? I don’t know. What’s the alltime OPS record for a catcher for a season? For a full season? I mean, I don’t know. But Kyle Roll’s got to be pretty close. Well, I’m going to try to see if I can ask some AI that real quickly, but I’m sure I’m sure Cal’s up there. You want OPS or you want OPS plus? OPS. Okay. Oh be it. Looks like Piaza. Yeah, I was going to say Piaza 1070. Okay. Different era and we’re like are we going to start doing those? I’m just asking cuz K’s what? 954 959. Okay. 172 ops plus. I mean for a catcher. Now compare him to other catchers much like Mike Piaza compared to other catchers. That’s insanity numbers. Yeah. And catcher is a dead spot for most teams. Yes. People are going to say, “Hey, Judge has a 213.” That’s great. It’s great. every other year. Judge behind the plate for 130 games and let me know if he makes it. He ain’t gonna make it. I’m sorry. I know he’s not a condition now. He’s different type of player, but he ain’t gonna make it. That’s the difference to me. That’s it. 125 RBI’s for Cal Cal’s played a little more. Obviously, Judge missed a little bit of time. Then their argument would be would Cal would Cal have won a batting title if he played right field all year. Would he have had 70 homers had he played right field all year? That’s going to be that’s going to be the other side of the argument. would have 70 homers if he played in Yankee Stadium. How many homers in safe go whatever T-Mobile that went to the warning track especially in right field that would have been homers in in Yankee Stadium. I mean there’s you can make arguments till you’re blue in the face but I’m sorry this time listen I’m a judge guy. I love Judge. I think Judge is one of the best players we’ve seen in a really long time. But for this one year it’s Cal Raleigh. It’s just that’s it. I’m sorry. FTF fam. Superpower believes that every human has 100year potential and they’re going to help you get there. I like the sweatshirt, Eric. And I also love the way that Superpower takes care of its members. Yeah. You go get your lab test, you become the best you. You be a member of this group and your test will come back. It’s unlocking things that you didn’t know about yourself. This is stuff that players used all the time. You can do it now, too. Exactly. rats. How many of you have gone to a doctor’s appointment? You get the classic, “Oh, you’re fine.” Or, “Just drink more water.” No real data, no real game plan with one simple blood draw with Superpower and over 100 biomarkers. That is way more than what you’d usually get and it unlocks so much more about your own body. Head to superpower.com to learn more and lock in the special $199 price while it lasts. After you sign up, they’ll ask you how you heard about them. Please make sure to mention the FT podcast to support the show. your biology decoded, your blueprint activated with superpower. And for the Mariners, the last time they won the American League West, I think it’s worth showing the tweet there about what was popular in 2009. Won 116 games. You remember that team? I played against that team a lot. Nasty. Yeah, they whooped our ass. That was Ichiro’s rookie year, right? I rookie year. They had Brett Boon at second, Olaruda first, Carlos Guan short. Uh geez. Yeah. Yeah. This is exactly Shrek coming out. I mean Harry Potter movie. Shrek was released in theaters. First Harry Potter movie was number one. iPad not or sorry iPod the original which I still have but I still have an original one. Looks just like that. Mine too. It wasn’t out in 2001. No. Alicia Keys. I’ll tell you I’ll tell you how I’ll tell you how crazy he was. So we all have a phone. Yep. We had the old flippy phone, right? That you played Snake on. Everyone played Snake. Remember Snake on the phone? Yeah. So, there was a game and we were chasing down Cleveland that year in Minnesota and Cleveland won the division. We didn’t. And they played the Mariners. I think it was the Mariners. And the Mariners had like a crazy lead. It was like 10 to one or 12 to nothing. And we were all watching on our phone and we’re like, “Oh, the Mariners are going to hold on.” The Guardians came back, Indians at the time came back and won that game. We’re like, “Oh, we’re probably screwed.” I think it was in like August, but that was year that in in Seattle on the Hit It Here when it used to be the Hit It Here Cafe. They’re like, “We don’t count KS, we count sweeps.” And they hung brooms because they won so many games. It was freaking stupid. August 5th, 2001, Indians completed the largest comeback in MLB history. 12 run deficit against the Mariners, winning 154 in 11 innings. There was a 142 lead in that game. Yeah. And we were sitting there on our phone going like this. Oh, all right. We’re going to pick up a game. Because we were on a plane flying somewhere and we were all watching in our phone like, yeah, we’re going to we got a chance to pick up a game because we had already won. And then as we’re watching it, we’re like, no. And it was like the old flip phone that barely had internet and you’re like where do I where do I hold the antenna? You had an antenna and everything. You’re holding it up somewhere and everyone’s looking at their phone like no way. It’s 14 to 10 or whatever. Like no way. Times have changed. Oh yeah. And I will say for as as well as Seattle has played the Houston Astros made it easy for them in this final week. They have completely crumbled right now and they are probably out of a playoff spot. But the Mariners, I I will definitely say, won the division n. I know you guys like to say, did this team win or did this team collapse? Mariners won the division, but the Astros made it easy for them. Part of the collapse was they beat the they swept the Mariners. I mean, they swept the Astros. They started this. They were like, “Hey, you know what? Oh man, if we take two or three, if the Astros take two or three, it’s just going to be same old Astros.” They came into Houston. It wasn’t at home. They came into Houston and they said, “Screw it. We’re going east of Spokane and we’re going to sweep a team.” That to me, that’s an exclamation point. To me, the Mariners won it. I don’t think the Astros lost it. They put the Astros on a skid.

For the first time since 2001, the Seattle Mariners are AL West champions — and Cal Raleigh blasts home runs No. 59 and 60 to join baseball’s 60-HR club. The crew breaks down Raleigh’s historic season, why his case for MVP stacks up against Aaron Judge, and how rare it is to see a catcher put up these kinds of numbers while leading his team to a division crown.

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48 comments

  8. Cal getting 60 home runs, and Seattle winning the division should clinch the MVP. MVP voters usually go for big numbers such as 60 home runs, and Seattle winning the division takes the " he's not a winner " argument away, and should overcome Crankees bias

  11. On how many pitches in an entire game does position player (other than catcher) have a chance to affect the game? Of all balls in play during a game how many does a right fielder touch? Maybe 5 or 6 in a game. A catcher is in on EVERY pitch of a game, taking foul tips on your body, calling pitches ( which affects the outcome of the game), blocking pitches for your pitchers so they can feel free throw their nastiest sliders. The workload between right field and a catcher is not even close. If you can celebrate Otani as MVP for doing things no other pitcher has doene in the history of baseball then why can't poeple celebrate a catcher doing things that no other catcher has done before in baseball history. Much of the narrative is focused on offensive production but the MVP award is the Most Valuable PLAYER not Most Valuable Hitter.

  13. “You know what the difference between hitting .250 and .300 is? It’s 25 hits. Twenty-five hits in 500 at-bats is 50 points, OK? There’s six months in a season. That’s about 25 weeks. That means if you get just one extra flare a week, just one, a gork, a ground ball — a ground ball with eyes! — you get a dying quail, just one more dying quail a week and you’re in Yankee Stadium. You still don’t know what I’m talking about, do you?”

  21. Aaron judge only hit 62 because pitcher didn’t want the smoke. In September of 2022 judge slash was 380/533/790 1323 ops. Drew 33 walks. Cal gotta get the mvp and likely the Al homerun record. Judge season at a level cal can’t get to

  24. Woah woah woah woah.

    Krazty saying Ohtani would’ve won the 2022 MVP if Judge didn’t hit 62 is INSANE.

    Judge led Ohtani in every single category. Yes Ohtani had a great pitching year, BUT his offense was very mid. He had a .875 OPS to Judge’s like 1.100. What are we talking about.
    Judge didn’t win the MVP because he broke the HR record. He won because he broke the HR record AND batted .311 AND led the league in walks, OBP, SLG, OPS, wOBA, OPS+, wRC+ TB, etc.

    Judge is better than Raleigh period stop. And the award has always gone to the best player in each league. Value is subjective, and historically it goes to the best player.

    It’s not the “oh he had the best season for his position” award, it’s the “who’s the best player in the league” award. And that’s Aaron Judge by a country mile.

  31. Cal is having a unicorn season for a catcher…that shouldn’t be the main reason why he should win his first MVP….Lamar Jackson in football was the easy winner but somehow the voters choose Allen…who knows the criteria they will use in voting for the AL MVP…my vote would be Judge most of his stats overwhelm the Big Dumper….remember Judge missed some time with his arm injury or he would have sixty homers

  37. Judge is better over all numbers… Cal is probably a bigger part of his teams success… (and judge was out hurt for a few weeks which hurts the HR total)… sadly, I think the anti-NY bias might give it to him NOT because he really is the MVP. time will tell… writers a fickle… (they failed to put some blue chip HOF'ers on the ballots… )

  40. I think Cal is having an amazing season agree with everything they just said there for his case. In my opinion, outside of Judge having the overall better offensive numbers overall, he's doing so in New York under higher pressure to perform. He's also doing it in the AL East and stronger competition. Not that this should overshadow how tough it is to hit 60 HRs as a switch hitting catcher, but it should be noted for Judge's case too. Just my opinion.

  42. So here's the thing, as a catcher, Raleigh should have a huge advantage from a WAR perspective than Judge. Way more opportunities to make plays as a catcher than a RF. Yet, Judge's numbers are so much better, Judge is 2 full wins ahead of him. I'm not even a Yankees fan, but Judge is the MVP.

  43. Judge should win. He beats Cal in every category but homeruns and rbi's. He also will be only the 3rd person to win the batting title and have 50 plus homeruns in the same season. He's been intentionally walked 34 times.

  44. It's crazy, every argument for Cal has nothing to do with stats. What does that tell you? He's a catcher, his team usually stinks, batting average doesn't matter! Great season… for the AL MVP Runner-Up.

  47. What would judge bat left handed I wonder? It sure would not be .248 from both sides of the plate while playing catcher. Judge is amazing but Cal is the MVP this year.

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