Cal Raleigh isn't thinking about the AL MVP award, or at least that's what he'll tell you if you ask him directly. The Mariners have a three-game lead on the Astros with six games remaining. Seattle swept Houston over the weekend, and Raleigh came up huge on Sunday with a grand slam to give the Mariners an insurmountable lead.
“Honestly, you couldn’t ask for a better three-game set,” Raleigh said. “Obviously there’s a lot on the line and I give credit to the guys here in this clubhouse. Never flinched and brought the same energy every day, the same focus. Wasn’t satisfied after one win or two wins, and we finished the job.”
Every home run Raleigh hits, he inches closer to the AL record, which was set by Aaron Judge in 2022 when he hit 62, surpassing the then-mark of 61 of Roger Maris. Raleigh has already set the record for most home runs by a catcher and switch-hitter. However, Raleigh's MVP case may have received a significant boost on Tuesday with the announcement of MLB's new ABS system starting in 2026.
MLB's new ABS system, explained
Don't let anyone tell you professional sports isn't a business. We live in a country which thrives on capitalism, and MLB is run by 30 owners in the business of making money. That is why MLB's long-awaited challenge system came with a sponsor. Starting in 2026, MLB will institute its new automated balls and strikes system league-wide. MLB gave the challenge system a trial run in the Atlantic League and even the minor leagues last season. For the most part, players enjoyed the change. The human element of the game was an honorable code to live by when we didn't have this type of technology at our disposal. Now, MLB is keeping that theme, putting the control in the players' hands to challenge calls made by umpires.
Per MLB's official announcement, these are the ABS rules you need to know:
- Each team will get two challenges and can keep them if they're successful.
- Challenges can only be initiated by a pitcher, catcher, or batter, and the request must come right after the pitch.
- To signal a challenge, the pitcher, catcher, or batter will tap his hat or helmet to let the umpire know.
- No help from the dugout or other players on the field is allowed.
- In each extra inning, a team will be awarded a challenge if it has none remaining entering the inning.
MLB's new challenge system is sponsored by T-Mobile, for some reason, who we're assuming will pay for at least a portion of the new cameras and technology MLB will install in all 30 ballparks before next season.
MVP voters should give award to Cal Raleigh while they still can
As we wrote just a few weeks ago, the battle for AL MVP could very well come down to narratives, more than actual statistics. Based on the numbers, Judge should win AL MVP this season. However, Raleigh's 2025 season is one we haven't ever witnessed before, and it's all coming from a switch-hitting catcher who is excellent defensively.
While there's no denying that some of Raleigh's defensive numbers have taken a hit this year, he's still a top-10 defensive backstop in most metrics. As it pertains to pitch framing, Raleigh ranks fifth in catcher framing runs saved, as measured by Baseball Savant.
If there were ever a season Raleigh had a realistic chance at the MVP award, it would be this one. One of the key metrics to his advantage is literally being taken away. While catcher will remain a demanding position defensively after 2025, that argument is unlikely to carry the same weight when pitch framing is taken out of the equation.