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Comebacks: Cracking the Raleigh codeSteph Chambers / Getty ImagesA month ago, we pondered what was wrong with Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh. Now, we may have answers. To be clear, Raleigh is still light-years off his 2025 pace (60 home runs, .948 OPS) despite three home runs Monday and another last night. Through 100 games, Raleigh has hit 18 home runs and has a .632 OPS. It remains a monumental letdown after he finished second in MVP voting. So, why? Our Eno Sarris parsed the data to find the metaphorical needle in the haystack. Two quick points:
Raleigh is almost assured to finish with the biggest drop in production year over year for any qualified MLB hitter who belted 60 or more home runs the year before. Mark McGwire holds the current mark at 32 dingers. Raleigh needs 14 more in the 29 games left to “tie” that mark.
As Eno’s digging revealed, a massive culprit: Raleigh’s plate discipline. The catcher, of all people, is swinging at pitches in the zone far less than he did last year. That’ll do it.
Read Eno’s analysis for a better understanding of it, and it’s written so well any layperson can come away with a roundabout idea of what “Z-swing%” is. Learn some terms here. And as any fantasy baseball owner will tell you, there aren’t many catchers who are consistently elite hitters. Meanwhile, his team urgently needs him to snap back into form, sitting 2 1/2 games out of the AL West lead and a wild-card spot.Let’s keep moving. Busy day:News to KnowJoseph Cress / For the RegisterSEC, Big Ten ban pro players
