Seattle – Smoky Mountain High School alumnus Raleigh is lauded as the frontrunner for American League most valuable player, ahead of slugging outfielders Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani of the National League.
Such success of a local lad likely boosts college and pro scouting of other WNC ballplayers.
In another local’s diamond feat, Enka’s Averi Coggins batted a phenomenal WNC-record .687 in softball. Rising senior Coggins is the WNC district player of the year.
West, East and North Henderson fans know Raleigh siblings. Cal, 28, played a decade ago for Mountain Seven Conference rival Smoky Mountain High School Mustangs. Sister Carley Raleigh starred in West volleyball. As a senior in 2023, she led M7 champion West in assists and was third in slams. West won three 3A playoff matches.
Breakthrough Season
Baseball analysts are raving about Cal Raleigh, in his fifth MLB season. He will start as the A.L. all-star catcher in Atlanta on July 15. He has the fifth-most fan votes in phase one of voting. He will compete in the home run derby on July 14, with his father Todd Raleigh pitching to him.
Through Monday, Raleigh is batting .276 with a MLB-most 33 home runs, also 71 RBI and a 1.036 on-base/slugging percentage. His average is about 50 points above his career mark. He is thus progressing from a modern hit-or-miss slugger to one making above-average contact. He credits recognizing more hittable pitches better, in a recent MLB Network Radio interview. He stands slightly closer to the plate, and closed off his stance.
Sizzling Slugger
Raleigh compiled more homers before the all-star break than any catcher (Johnny Bench, et al) in MLB history. He’s tied for the third more homers by anyone through June. He’s on pace for 67 homers. He pursues two records — Salvador Perez’s 48 homers by a catcher in 2021, and Mickey Mantle’s 54 switch-hitting homers in 1961.
Starting with Raleigh’s first full season with Seattle in 2022, he’s clubbed 27, 30, 34, and 33 (so far in 2025) homers. His 93 pre-2025 home runs are the most for a catcher’s first four seasons. Raleigh drove in 100 runs in 2024.
Raleigh, not Ken Griffy, Jr., is the only Seattle Mariner smashing 11 or more homers in one month (June). Raleigh thrived in two torrid weeks. He smacked seven homers in eight games from May 30 to June 7. He launched six homers in six games in June 17-23 while batting .480, to earn A.L. overall player of the week honors. He rates number one in overall statistic production among MLB hitters and pitchers in many Yahoo fantasy leagues.
‘Big Dumper’
The strong, stocky catcher is 6-foot-2 and weighs 235. He generates swinging power largely through a strong central core. Raleigh was tagged as “Big Dumper” for his muscular posterior, by then-teammate Jared Kelenic (now an Atlanta Brave).
Raleigh won two Rawlings defensive awards for 2024. His Gold Glove award is for A.L. catchers. The Platinum Glove Award is from fan voting, for the A.L.’s best defender among all positions. Raleigh said that he prides himself most for defense, when interviewed on June 26 by MLB Network Radio’s Greg Ansinger.
Raleigh told Ansinger that starting in his first all-star game is quite an “accolade,” boosting his career “stature.” Pro baseball is “tough mentally” and physically, he noted. Catchers who routinely crouch. He can catch full-time by “managing my workload,” taking less batting practice in heat. He studies opposing batters ahead of games. Above all, “I try to be consistent.”
Mustang, Seminole
Jackie Corn, Jr. managed West Henderson to the 3A state title in 2023. He was a North Henderson assistant baseball coach in 2015, when facing Smoky Mountain Mustang senior Raleigh. “Cal was a great player in high school, a game changer behind the dish and at the plate. He also pitched. He was always working hard. Even when I played baseball for his Dad” at Western Carolina University in 2007 and ‘08. Corn said that back then, while WCU’s bat boy, “Cal was always getting reps at different positions, and getting swings from both sides of the plate.”
Raleigh batted .469 with 10 homers and 20 stolen bases in 2015. He was a high school All-American, and conference MVP in baseball and basketball. He hit .301 as a freshman All-American for Florida State in 2016. He was Seattle’s third-round pick in 2018. This spring, his contract was extended six years.
Raleigh grew up liking fiery catcher Jason Varitek and the Boston Red Sox, his Vermont native father’s regional team.
Another Mustang in MLB is Twins 6-5 rookie starting pitcher Zebby Matthews, 25. Coach Corn said that like Cal, Zebby demonstrated “phenomenal work ethic and grit.”