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Why Mariners' Cal Raleigh is MLB's biggest disappointment at catcher
TL;DR
Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners is considered MLB's biggest disappointment at catcher this season, despite the team's decent overall performance. His production has not met expectations, contributing to a rocky start for the Mariners.
Key points
- Cal Raleigh is viewed as MLB's biggest disappointment at catcher.
- The Seattle Mariners have a record of 14-16 this season.
- Raleigh's performance has not met expectations despite recent improvements.
Seattle Mariners
Why Mariners' Cal Raleigh is MLB's biggest disappointment at catcher originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Seattle Mariners are 14-16 on the season, and sit just a half-game back of a Wild Card spot in the American League. They also aren't far out of the top spot in the AL West overall.
While the start to the year has been disappointing, the Mariners are still in fairly good shape overall. One of the reasons why things were both bad to begin the year, and getting better lately, is thanks to Cal Raleigh's production.
ESPN's David Schoenfield called Raleigh Major League Baseball's most disappointing catcher this season. Even though he's not playing terribly anymore, compared to expectations, he's been a bit of a letdown this season.
Why Cal Raleigh is MLB's biggest disappointment at catcher
"This is mostly in relation to Raleigh's own impossible standard from last season," Schoenfield writes. "Like most of Seattle's lineup, he struggled the first few weeks, hitting .145 through his first 18 games."
While Raleigh might be turning things around, hitting five home runs in the last week's worth of games, his overall end-of-season production likely won't come close to what he did a year ago.
Seattle's starting catcher is hitting .205 on the season with seven home runs and 17 RBIs. His .707 OPS is back in a decent spot after a terrible start had it well below league average.
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But, overall, compared to his MVP-caliber player from a year ago, this season has been disappointing for Raleigh and the Mariners.
Schoenfield called Raleigh the biggest disappointment at the catcher position in baseball. It's not about how good Raleigh actually is, but rather compared to the expectations for him coming into the year.
He's still better than most catchers in baseball, and he could very well eclipse 50 homers once more. But for now, compared to expectations, Raleigh has been the biggest disappointment among catchers this year.
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Q&A
Why is Cal Raleigh considered the biggest disappointment at catcher in MLB?
Cal Raleigh is labeled the biggest disappointment due to his performance not meeting the high expectations set for him this season.
How are the Seattle Mariners performing this season?
The Seattle Mariners have a record of 14-16 and are just half a game back of a Wild Card spot in the American League.
What impact has Cal Raleigh had on the Mariners' season?
Cal Raleigh's production has been a factor in the Mariners' recent improvement, despite his overall disappointing performance.
