PHOENIX — They met for the first time last November, and now 3,229 miles away, Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench can’t keep his eyes off him.
He watches him on TV. He scours the box scores looking for his name. He checks out the latest stats.
Bench, considered the greatest all-around catcher in baseball history with his 14 All-Star appearances, 10 Gold Gloves, two MVPs and two World Series championships, is mesmerized these days by a young man in Seattle who could become the next, well, Johnny Bench.
He is a modern-day combination of Hall of Fame catcher Mike Piazza (427 homers) and future Hall of Famer Yadier Molina (nine Gold Gloves, four Platinum Gloves).
The name is Cal Raleigh, the Seattle Mariners’ switch-hitting catcher.
He’s not only the premier power-hitting catcher in the game today, tied for the major-league lead with 26 homers entering June 15, but also is the game’s best defensive catcher. Raleigh, who has produced the most home runs by a catcher in his first four seasons in baseball history, also won the Gold Glove and the Platinum Gold award last year as the top defensive player in the American League, regardless of position.
Raleigh, 28, has taken the torch from 35-year-old Kansas City Royals star Salvador Perez (five-time Gold Glove winner, five-time Silver Slugger) as the game’s finest all-around catcher.
He already is on his way to carving a spot in the record books. He became the first catcher to hit 20 home runs before June 1, and is just two homers behind Bench for producing the most by a catcher before the All-Star break (28 HR in 1970). He’s on pace to smash Perez’s record of 48 homers for a catcher. He’ll soon join Piazza, Bench and Roy Campanella as the only catchers to hit 30 or more homers in three consecutive years.
“Believe me, I’m paying close attention,’ Bench tells USA TODAY Sports from his Jupiter, Florida, home. “I love watching him hit, seeing him go the other way while trying to get guys in from second and third. I love watching him throw, and unlike some guys you see, he’s not afraid to throw. I love watching him call a game. I love watching him drive in runs.
“I love watching everything he does, it’s just so impressive.’
Bench started closely following Raleigh when they met at the Rawlings Gold Glove dinner in New York last November. They sat at the same table. And they talked. And talked. Raleigh listened. And Bench talked some more.
“He’s such a nice young man,’ Bench says, “and for him to win his first Gold Glove will just give him more confidence. I call it inner-conceit. You’re better than the situation. You’re better than the opposing pitcher you’re facing. You’re better than the batter you’re trying to get out.
“Guys like him have come along maybe 14, 15 times in the history of the game.’
Raleigh, who has been in the big leagues for 3 ½ years, breaks into a smile hearing Bench’s praise. You kidding? Johnny Bench is raving about him? He still can’t believe he got to sit next to Bench during the luncheon, stunned the legend even knew who he was, and blown away by the advice he provided.
“That was so cool. He’s definitely one of a kind,’ Raleigh says. “He was awesome. Old school. Knows baseball. Loves to talk about it.
“There were a lot of stories. He was really adamant about as you get older, taking care of yourself as a catcher. So he was giving me stuff on that. But then the big thing was runners in scoring position, what he was trying to do as a hitter, telling me he was taught to get runs in, and be an RBI guy. Those are the two things that stuck with me, slowing it down, not trying to do too much, and just getting those runs in. He was big on those two things.’
Now, Raleigh has Bench beaming with pride. Raleigh has played in all but one Mariners game this season. He would be perhaps be the MVP favorite if not for Yankees slugger Aaron Judge’s ridiculous year.
“I don’t know about that,’ Raleigh says. “I’m a huge fan of [Kansas City Royals shortstop] Bobby Witt. I think he’s one of the best players in baseball. What he can do, how he can impact the game, the guy is unbelievable.’
Then again, what Raleigh is doing deserves the same hype. He has 26 homers and 53 RBIs, to go along with 44 runs, 11 doubles, seven stolen bases, a .376 on-base percentage and .998 OPS. He has 13 homers and 40 RBIs with runners on base.
“That’s what [former Mariners third baseman] Kyle Seager always told me, too,’ Raleigh says. “He was really a big RBI guy. That’s an important thing that people don’t realize. Can you drive in runs? That’s a huge part of the game. Walks are great, but driving in runs win games.’
Says Mariners All-Star center fielder Julio Rodriguez: “When he’s getting his pitches, he’s not missing them. Whenever someone throws a fastball, and he’s looking for it, it’s gone. It’s pretty amazing what he’s doing.’
And, then, there’s the Gold Glove defense, throwing out the most runners trying to steal in back-to-back years for the first time since Hall of Famer Gary Carter in 1982-83, and a mastermind behind the plate.
“It’s cool to see the progression because coming out of college,’ Mariners backup catcher Mitch Garver Says, “he was really more of a bat-first catcher, and really revamped his whole catching style over the last few years. We saw the rewards last year with the way he was able to receive the ball better. I think it improved his blocking and his throwing as well.
“Here he is, close to 30 homers already, still catching five or six times a week, and is able to do what he does with the staff and produce offensively is just amazing to see. We’re playing in a ballpark that’s not easy to hit in, and he’s making it look easy. He’s hitting balls above his head, hitting balls that are almost about to bounce, and staying locked in behind the plate.’
Says Mariners veteran starter Luis Castillo: “He’s so very good for us, just having that confidence that we have in him. He does so much for us helping the team win defensively, offensively, everything. But the big thing for the pitchers is the confidence for us to throw the pitch that we want, but also the confidence in him to throw the pitch that he wants, too.’
Raleigh is hardly satisfied with just becoming the greatest hitting catcher in the game. He also wants to be the best behind the plate.
“What kid didn’t love Yadi (Molina) coming up?’ Raleigh says. “You wanted to be him. You wanted to be that guy. He was so good in every aspect of the game. Calling a game, blocking, receiving, throwing guys out, back-picking, everything. He was amazing. When he was back there, it was a whole different game. It was special. It was different.’
Raleigh is getting those same rave reviews as Molina, not only what he does on the field night after night, behind the plate and at the plate, but also in the clubhouse.
“He’s a very smart player, very understanding, very professional,’ Mariners first baseman Rowdy Tellez says, “but I don’t think people give him the credit for being a great leader and what he does for everyone in this clubhouse. He’s a true superstar. He’s putting up numbers nobody else is doing. If he did this anywhere else in the country, people would be blown away.
“Oh yeah, and he’s got good hair, too.’
Raleigh couldn’t care less about appearing in commercials. He doesn’t need fans hanging out for hours outside the team hotel on the road for pictures and autographs. He doesn’t even need MLB officials to beg him to be in their Home Run Derby, with Raleigh already volunteering. He’s still waiting on the call.
“I think the last time I did a Home Run Derby was in the High-A Cal League,’’ Raleigh said. “I don’t think I made it out of the first round. But if they invite me, why wouldn’t you want to do something like that? It’d be pretty cool to do something like that one day.’
Who knows, maybe the Derby will let everyone know that MLB’s best catcher plays in Seattle. He received a six-year, $105 million extension this spring, hopefully long enough to be the one to help lead the Mariners to where they’ve never gone before: the World Series.
“This city is amazing,’ Raleigh said. “The people are amazing. The Mariners fans are amazing. It’s the only place I’ve ever known, and it’s hopefully the only place I’ve ever known. I just look really forward to what’s to come, and hopefully get these guys in the World Series because these last two seasons have been extremely disappointing.’’
The Mariners, 34-34, have been to the postseason just once since 2001, and those who are still in the organization – like Mariners manager Dan Wilson – can tell you just how electric the city became when the Mariners reached the postseason in 1995. They were in the playoffs four times in seven years with future Hall of Famers Ken Griffey Jr. Edgar Martinez, Ichiro Suzuki and Randy Johnson.
“For Cal, it comes from in here with him,’ Wilson says, tapping his chest. “He’s got a lot of heart, a lot of desire, and a lot of determination. He wants to win in the worst way. He wants to be out there every day and compete. His at-bats are just so good, the way he receives, the way he blocks, the way he throws, the way he handles our pitching staff. He just does it all, but what really shines through is his desire to win.’
Says Mariners hitting coach Kevin Seitzer: “He’s very intense, very focused, quiet, soft-spoken, but he’s not afraid to share his mind. The stuff that comes out of his mouth is really rock solid. What can you say, he’s a freakin’ pro.’
It’s why the Mariners didn’t hesitate investing $105 million in him before he was eligible for arbitration. Who knows, he could wind up on the Mariners’ Mount Rushmore one day, already hitting more home runs than any Mariner but Griffey this quickly in his career.
“Nothing really changes, but it’s nice to know that you’re going to be somewhere for a long period of time,’ Raleigh says, “especially where you want to be. It probably did ease my mind a little bit in the sense that I know I can just go out and play, enjoy it, and win as many games as we can, and get us to October.
“That’s what you play for. That’s what you constantly remind yourself. We’re playing for something bigger come October, something that you’ll never forget. Something the city will never forget.’
Something like the night of Sept. 30, 2022, when it was his ninth-inning, walk-off homer that finally ended the Mariners’ 21-year playoff drought.
“That’s what I want more than anything,’ he says.
Raleigh pauses, takes a deep breath, and says: “Only this time, in October.’
Around the basepaths
– The Arizona Diamondbacks, who could be the epicenter of the trade deadline, are getting swarmed with calls from rival GMs with hopes they can land the piece to get them into October.
The D-backs have starters Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly, power-hitting third baseman Eugenio Suarez and first baseman Josh Naylor, along with relievers Shelby Miller and Jalen Beeks, all pending free agents who could be available.
The Seattle Mariners and San Francisco Giants are keeping a close eye on those power hitters, while virtually every contender is looking at their pitching.
One little problem.
The D-backs (35-34) still are contenders.
As long as the D-backs still have a legitimate shot, they are making it clear they are not interested in breaking up the band.
– GMs who have spoken to Atlanta recently are convinced that Alex Anthopoulos has zero interest in giving up players for prospects at the trade deadline.
– The Chicago White Sox were thrilled getting veteran starter Aaron Civale from the Milwaukee Brewers for first baseman Andrew Vaughn, who had been demoted to the minors a month ago.
Still, they won’t have Civale in uniform long.
They plan to trade him at the July 31 deadline, believing they could get at least a couple of mid-tier prospects in return.
– If the Brewers become convinced Vaughn could return to being an everyday first baseman, veteran Rhys Hoskins could be a valuable chip at the trade deadline.
– Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara is starting to look like himself again after undergoing Tommy John surgery, with his fastball (97.6-mph) and command returning just in time to get traded. Alcantara, who’s yielding a 1.50 ERA in his last two starts compared to 8.47 in his first 11 starts, should be the No. 1 trade piece on the market.
The Dodgers, who have plenty of prospects, are one of the teams lurking.
– The Dodgers are encouraged, and awfully tempted, but aren’t planning to use Shohei Ohtani as a pitcher until after the All-Star break.
– The Pirates believe they could get a healthy return for veteran starter Andrew Heaney at the trade deadline. Heaney (3-5, 3.33 ERA) has made every start this season and has pitched at least five innings in 12 of his 14 starts, going into the seventh inning six times.
– The Rockies could shop reliever Jake Bird, who should be their All-Star representative with his 2.06 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 39⅓ innings, and even nine-year veteran infielder Ryan McMahon at the trade deadline.
– You think the Phillies would love to find a center fielder at the deadline? Their center fielders have a .609 OPS, which would rank the lowest at the position in franchise history.
– MLB is hosting the Draft Combine once again in Phoenix this week while teams are cruelly reminded that nothing is ever guaranteed in the draft.
All you have to do is look at this past week:
The Houston Astros dumped Forrest Whitley, the 17th pick of the 2016 draft, while the Chicago White Sox gave up on first baseman Andrew Vaughn, the third pick in 2019.
– Paul Skenes has made 15 starts this season.
He has given up 19 earned runs for a 1.78 ERA.
He has only four victories.
He is the first pitcher in MLB history to have a sub-1.80 ERA over a 15-game stretch and have fewer than five victories, according to Codify Baseball.
In Skenes’ career, spanning 38 starts, he has given up just 48 earned runs for a 1.89 ERA.
– When San Francisco Giants ace Logan Webb (6-5, 2.58 ERA) suffocated the Los Angeles Dodgers’ powerful offense on Friday night, it was his seventh start this season of at least seven innings.
The entire Dodgers rotation has two starts of seven innings.
Webb, in fact, has already tied the franchise record with at least three starts of 10 or more strikeouts and no walks, and it’s still June.
– It may be a century later, but the Boston Red Sox at least are getting a little payback from selling Babe Ruth to the Yankees.
The Yankees traded minor-league catcher Carlos Navarez during the winter to Boston for pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz. Navarez, who spent nine years in the Yankees organization but had only six games of big-league experience, was a long shot to even make the opening-day roster.
Today, he is their everyday catcher, not only exhibiting fabulous defense, but hitting .280 with six homers. He was the hero with his walk-off Friday night against the Yankees.
“He’s been a revelation,” Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet told reporters. “You talk to him and you forget that he’s still classified as a rookie. It’s really special, he really calls games like he’s been doing it for 10 years in the show and his at-bats at the plate late in crunch time, he just never gives in.”
– The Chicago Cubs bullpen has four players who are older than 36 years old and five who weren’t on their opening day roster.
It’s also the same bullpen that has yielded a major-league leading 0.90 ERA since May 14, according to Fangraphs.
– Atlanta rookie Drake Baldwin not only is on the verge of becoming the first African-American everyday catcher since Charles Johnson, but just could be the best hockey player in baseball.
Baldwin, who grew up in Madison, Wisconsin, was also a hockey star in high school, leading the state with 43 goals as a junior and was a finalist for Wisconsin Player of the Year as a senior.
– Kudos to Phillies ace Zack Wheeler, who told The Athletic’s Matt Gelb that he plans to retire after the 2027 season to spend time with his family.
– Just how dominant is Tarik Skubal?
He has thrown 90.1 innings this season, and hasn’t permitted a run in 79 of them, yielding a 1.99 ERA and a 0.808 WHIP.
He’s on pace to become the first pitcher to win consecutive Cy Young awards since Pedro Martinez in 1999-2000.
Oh, and he’s a free agent after the 2026 season, too.
– The best free agent signing of the winter may be Griffin Canning of the Mets.
The Mets didn’t even bother making an offer for Corbin Burnes ($210 million) or Blake Snell ($182 million), but believed in Canning, signing him to a one-year, $4.25 million contract.
He is now having the best season of his career, going 6-2 with a 3.22 ERA after going 6-13 with a 5.19 ERA last year with the Angels, giving up the most runs (99) by any AL pitcher.
Meanwhile, Burnes is out for this year and most of next season undergoing Tommy John surgery. And Snell has made only two starts.
– The Yankees have four 1-0 victories this season, already their most since 1976, according to research extraordinaire Bill Chuck.
– The Yankees are bidding to become the first playoff team since the 2006 Mets to have two starting infielders at the age of 36 or older (Paul Goldschmidt and DJ LeMahieu), according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
– The A’s will have their official groundbreaking ceremony June 23 in Las Vegas at the former Tropicana Hotel site. The ceremony will be at 8 a.m. before temperatures hit 105 by noon.
– Don Kelly certainly is showing why the Boston Red Sox nearly hired him as manager a few years ago. He took over a Pirates team that was 12-26, and they since have gone 17-16 entering Saturday.
– Yes, those are the Rays, who revolutionized using openers, who have still used only five starters this entire season, throwing the most innings with the most quality starts. They lead the major leagues in innings, averaging 5.2 innings per start, throwing at least five innings in 88% of their starts.
– The Angels are hanging in the AL West race, but if things change, starting pitcher Tyler Anderson and closer Kenley Jansen will attract plenty of interest.
– Don’t look now, but Yankees castoff Gleyber Torres of the Detroit Tigers could be the American League’s staring second baseman at the All-Star Game. He’s hitting .271 with a .778 OPS, best among AL second basemen.
– The Red Sox’s seven walk-off victories this season already has equaled their franchise with 3 ½ months left to play.
– Torii Hunter, the nine-time Gold Glove outfielder, came up with a nickname for Athletics center fielder Denzel Clarke after his unreal catch to rob Nolan Schanuel of the Angels of a home run by elevating his body over the left-field fence.
“Elastic man,’ Hunter says. “The way he climbed that wall and stretched and caught that ball, you got to have some rubber in you.”
– The Texas Rangers’ offense is starting to surge with the hiring of hitting coach Bret Boone.
They scored five or more runs in just eight of their first 35 games before Boone’s arrival. Since the hiring of Boone, they have scored five or more runs in 13 of the 36 games.
The Rangers (35-36) still remain quite dangerous in the AL West.
– The Los Angeles Angels can never be accused of not giving their minor leaguers or young players a fair shot. They just called up second baseman Christian Moore, their first round pick of a year ago, who played only 79 minor league games. The Angels now have eight of their former first-round picks on their active roster, none who spent more than 100 games in the minors, and all 25 or younger.
– Do you realize the Cleveland Guardians have not lost a game since 2023 when leading after eight innings, going 112-0? They are the only team to remain undefeated since opening day of the 2024 season, according to Codify Baseball.
– The Savannah Bananas may look like all fun and games, but apparently it can be a bit dangerous.
Former All-Star first baseman Sean Casey tore his hamstring running the bases in a Bananas game, and former 20-game winner Adam Wainwright injured his arm training to pitch in one of the games.