Throughout baseball history, catcher has been an offensively challenged position.

It’s not hard to understand why. First, catcher defense is so important that backstops are selected in large part based on their ability to block, receive, throw and work with pitchers. Second, the physical demands of the position are such that it’s hard for catchers not to wear down over the course of a long season.

Because of all that, when a catcher does swing the bat at a superstar level, it’s truly special. And that’s what the Mariners' Cal Raleigh is doing in 2025. The first catcher to win the Home Run Derby has been bashing baseballs all season long and crushed his 54th home run on Sept. 14 against the Angels, tying Mickey Mantle (1961) for the most homers in a season by a switch-hitter.

It's

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