Amid Cal Raleigh threatening Aaron Judge's AL MVP hopes, Mets legend points out another alarming fact
A month ago, it seemed like Aaron Judge had a firm lock to win his third AL MVP in 2025. However, since then, competition has risen, with Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh giving a tough fight to his candidacy.
Judge has hit 28 home runs and driven in 62 runs in 78 games while batting .367. Meanwhile, Raleigh has four more home runs (32) and has driven in six more runs (68) while hitting .278.
Raleigh's rise as an offensive player has been against the trend in the MLB this season, where most of the catchers who were supposed to do well are struggling big time. This includes Gabriel Moreno and Francisco Alvarez.
Raleigh and Dodgers catcher Will Smith are the only ones having a good campaign at the plate this summer. With this, Mets legend Ron Darling raised the alarming issue during his appearance on MLB Now on Monday.
"But I want to put this in perspective, guys: where have all the catchers gone? I mean, judge him by the rest of his brethren in the major leagues, right? Smith has had a fantastic season—it's being overshadowed by Cal," Darling said. "But, the Gabriel Morenos, the Francisco Alvarezes, the other young catchers we thought were going to make a big leap—have not.
"And look at the difference between what Raleigh and Smith are doing compared to the rest of the league. So we have to ask ourselves the question: is too much being put on their plate? Is it too difficult in today’s game to be able to manage and call a game, and at the same time be an offensive player?"
How are Cal Raleigh and Will Smith miles apart from other catchers in the league in 2025?
When compared to the rest of the catchers in the MLB, Cal Raleigh and Will Smith are miles ahead in hitting this season.
Raleigh shattered Johnny Bench’s long-standing record, blasting 29 homers before the All-Star break in just 73 games, surpassing Bench’s 28 in 87 games. He aims to break the record for most home runs by a catcher in a single season (48), and he's well on pace for that. Cal Raleigh's offensive metrics translate to a 191 wRC+ and about 5.1 fWAR.
Meanwhile, Smith is hitting for contact, averaging .328 along with nine home runs, two stolen bases and 68 RBIs. His offensive metrics translate to a 172 wRC+.
Most MLB catchers struggle to hit .240 or produce an OPS above .750. None besides Cal Raleigh and Will Smith come close to: 30+ HR (Raleigh) and .969 OPS (Smith).