Cal Raleigh's Slow Start Has Seattle Fans Searching for Catcher Help
Look, we all remember Cal Raleigh's historic 60-homer season in 2025. It was incredible. But here's the thing about being a catcher in fantasy baseball: someone always leaves the draft weak at the position, and this year, even the guy who drafted our Mariners star has some complaints.
Raleigh posted only 15 fantasy points through the first two weeks of the season, which ranks 25th at the position. That's rough for a guy we all expected to carry teams. The reality is that catcher has been a historically difficult position to fill in fantasy baseball. This century, catchers have posted a collective OPS 33 points lower than the league average. In the past 25 non-shortened seasons, catchers accounted for only 10 of the 625 total seasons with 450-plus fantasy points among hitters. Someone's always getting caught short at this spot.
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If you're punting on the position early, a pair of youngsters have shown enough pop at the plate to potentially fill the catching slot for the long haul. Francisco Alvarez with the New York Mets is rostered in 36% of ESPN leagues. At only 24 years old, he's a fifth-year major leaguer who entered 2026 without fully realizing his potential at the plate. Injuries and swing issues left his early résumé thin on standout fantasy months, but so far this year, Alvarez is making significantly more contact at the plate. Small sample size caveat absolutely applies, but the contact rates are trending in the right direction, and he has the power to make a real difference in lineups down the road.
Don't Sleep on This Position
The lesson here: don't panic if your catcher is scuffling early. Raleigh will bounce back. But having a contingency plan beats waiting until August when everyone else figures out that the position is thin. Keep an eye on Alvarez and other young bats who are getting their opportunities now. This position has burned fantasy managers forever. Make it work for you instead of against you.
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