Mariners: Cal Raleigh a finalist for Gold Glove Award

While garnering more attention with his bat in 2022, Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh has been announced as a finalist for a Rawlings Gold Glove Award.

Major League Baseball announced the 2022 Rawlings Gold Glove Award finalists on Thursday. Among them was the Mariners’ deserving catcher, Cal Raleigh.

Raleigh is one of three finalists at his position for the American League Gold Glove. The other are the Athletics’ Sean Murphy — who won the award last season — and the Yankees’ Jose Trevino.

One of the best

Raleigh led all AL catchers with 25 caught stealing this season, which were also second-most in the Majors as a whole. He ranked tied for third among AL catchers with nine framing runs saved.

In addition, the 25-year-old was the third-most-valuable defensive catcher in the Majors with 14 runs saved. He only allowed three passed balls behind the plate, tied for second-fewest in the AL among catchers with at least 900 innings defensively.

Raleigh was understandably delighted to be nominated for the award. In a statement released by the team, he said:

“It’s an honor to be named a finalist for the Rawlings Gold Glove Award. I want to thank my family, coaches and teammates for all of their support and help throughout the season. Without them, none of this would be possible. Go M’s!”

Announcing his arrival

In what was a breakout season for Raleigh, he had the first 20-home-run, 20-caught-stealing season in franchise history. His 27 homers led all Major League catchers and often came in clutch situations.

The Mariners were 22-3 in games when the Cullowhee, North Carolina native hit a home run. Undoubtedly his biggest, was the one which dramatically ended the longest active-playoff drought in the four main North American professional sports leagues.

Raleigh also brought a toughness and resilience to the position for the Mariners. He caught all 18 innings of Seattle’s season-ending loss to Houston, then revealed he’d played with a broken thumb and torn ligaments in his left hand for more than a month.

The 2018 third round draft pick managed the pitching staff to a 3.30 ERA while behind the plate. This ranked as the fifth-best ERA among catchers in the Majors.

If Raleigh wins the award, he will become the first catcher in Mariners history to win a Gold Glove. The winners will be announced on Tuesday, November 1, prior to Game 4 of the World Series.

Major League managers and coaches vote within their respective leagues, to account for 75 percent of the selection process. The other 25 percent is conducted by the sabermetrics community.

What is your overall take on Raleigh’s play this past season? How confident are you in him being the Mariners’ main catcher for years to come? Let us know in the comments section below.