Cal Raleigh Offers 'Buy Low' Hope After Sloppy 2026 Start
Cal Raleigh established himself as the king of fantasy catchers in 2025. His 60 home runs shattered the previous all-time high for a catcher by 12. He led the American League in RBI (125) and runs scored (110). He even stole 14 bases.
It was the best offensive season by a catcher in MLB history.
So far in 2026, however, things haven't picked up where they left off. Nearly a month into the season, and Raleigh's home run pace is down, his strikeout rate is up, and the average isn't even close to .200.
His current status offers a fascinating mix of historic expectation and early-season anxiety. Through 25 games, the "Big Dumper" is batting .177 with four home runs and 13 RBI.
Cal Raleigh Concerns
Last season's heroics earned him a runner-up spot behind Aaron Judge in the AL MVP voting. He was the consensus C1 in 2026 fantasy drafts and was ranked Top 20 among all players.
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But so far, 2026 has proven rocky at best. Fantasy analysts have noted several "alarm bells":
Strikeout Rate: Raleigh is whiffing on 30.3% of plate appearances. Raleigh struck out 188 times last year and 176 times the year before, but this is the highest K rate of his career.
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Quality of Contact: His hard-hit rate and average exit velocity have plummeted compared to his career norms.
Post-WBC Slump: Some attribute his slow start to a difficult World Baseball Classic, where he went 0-for-9 for Team USA as a backup to the Dodgers' Will Smith.
Stick With Cal Raleigh
Should the alarm begin sounding for Raleigh's fantasy owners? Not necessarily.
On April 21, Raleigh went 2-for-3 with a walk and registered the only extra-base hit for the Mariners in a loss to the Athletics. It was a home run – his second in as many games.
Seattle as a team ranks 21st in runs scored. Raleigh has remained the No. 2 hitter in the lineup, right in front of the struggling Julio Rodriguez, who has just one home run with seven RBI and is batting .237.
Eventually, one will get hot and push the other, improving the production for both.
Raleigh isn't going anywhere. He signed an extension last off-season that keeps him in Seattle through 2030. He plays more games at the position than anyone. While he may not belt 60 homers again, the floor is likely in the 35-40 range.
Raleigh is no longer a breakout story; he is the elite power standard at catcher, even if his 2026 batting average tests your patience. If you can convince a fantasy GM to trade Raleigh, buy low before it's too late.
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This story was originally published April 22, 2026 at 8:29 AM.