This article was originally published as part of Verducci’s View, a weekly baseball newsletter from Sports Illustrated senior writer Tom Verducci. Every Monday, Tom empties out his notebook over email and covers MLB’s hottest topics, provides in-depth analysis through both text and video breakdowns, looks forward to what’s worth watching during the week and more. If you want to be featured in his new mailbag, please email [email protected] with any questions about MLB or his decades in the sport.
It’s been a lost year for Cal Raleigh. After posting a .948 OPS while hitting 60 home runs last year, the Mariners catcher ended July at .579 with 11 home runs. His decline is unprecedented. Of the 54 seasons in which a player hit 50 home runs, none fell the next year to an OPS lower than the .704 OPS of Chris Davis in 2014.
The most obvious decline in his game is how weak he has been against velocity. The Statcast numbers show that he is chronically late getting to fastballs. Pitchers know this and they are throwing him more velo.
Cal Raleigh vs. 95+ mph
Percentage Seen
HR
BA
SLG
2025
19.0%
12
.242
.570
2026
23.7%
2
.137
.219
Here you can see for yourself why Raleigh has been chronically late on heaters this year.
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