Updated
Updated · FanSided · Aug 11
Cal Raleigh's .377 OPS Drop Nears MLB's 3rd-Worst Ever as Mariners Catcher Slumps to .571
Updated
Updated · FanSided · Aug 11

Cal Raleigh's .377 OPS Drop Nears MLB's 3rd-Worst Ever as Mariners Catcher Slumps to .571

3 articles · Updated · FanSided · Aug 11

Summary

  • A .571 OPS through Aug. 11 leaves Cal Raleigh on pace for a .377 year-over-year drop from 2025, which would rank as the third-largest decline in MLB history.
  • That collapse has come with a 32.0% strikeout rate and a 3.3% home-run rate—both his worst since 2021—while his value has fallen to minus-0.3 bWAR over 85 games.
  • Raleigh has pointed to the World Baseball Classic, but the report says he was already struggling before a May oblique injury and often looked like he was pressing for home runs instead of contact.
  • The comparison is especially stark because the only larger OPS drops belonged to Rogers Hornsby and Hack Wilson, who still posted far stronger seasons than Raleigh's current line.
  • Seattle's concern extends beyond 2026: Raleigh is under contract through 2030, with a $20 million mutual option for 2031.

Insights

Is Cal Raleigh's 2026 nightmare a temporary slump, or was his record-shattering 2025 season the actual anomaly?
Will the World Baseball Classic be blamed for permanently derailing the career of a 60-home-run MVP runner-up?
Could Cal Raleigh's historic offensive collapse be a psychological burden rather than just a mechanical timing issue?