Saturday, June 28

MINNEAPOLIS -- Cal Raleigh isn’t officially an All-Star quite yet, though the inevitable should take place once Phase 2 of the ballot is complete, which the Mariners’ catcher advanced to on Thursday night when finalists at each position were revealed.

The vote is now reset, pitting Raleigh against Toronto’s Alejandro Kirk, with the winner earning the nod to start behind the plate for the American League in the Midsummer Classic on July 15 at Truist Park in Atlanta. 

Voting for the second phase will run from Monday June 30 until Wednesday July 2. The All-Star Ballot will continue to be available exclusively online and via mobile devices at MLB.com/vote, all 30 club websites, the MLB App and the MLB Ballpark App. Fans may vote once per day during Phase 2, with the daily voting limit resetting each day at midnight.

• 2025 PRO SPIRIT MLB All-Star Ballot. Watch the All-Star Game presented by Mastercard July 15 on FOX

So, in a sense, Raleigh still needs some help. At the end of Phase 1, Raleigh (3,040,594 votes) had a huge lead on Kirk (1,210,173) and ranked second to only Aaron Judge for most in the AL. 

If Raleigh is selected, he’ll become just the second All-Star catcher in franchise history, joining Dan Wilson, his current manager and longtime mentor. Wilson earned the nod in 1996, though he did not start, so Raleigh could become the first to do so in that regard.

Regardless, Raleigh will be in Atlanta for All-Star Week, having committed on Thursday to take part in the T-Mobile Home Run Derby.

“I'm really excited to, I like picking people's brains,” Raleigh said. “I mean, I know it's a quick turnaround there, because everybody is in and out, and there's a lot of stuff going on. But I'd love to pick guys' brains.”

Specifically, he’d love to speak with pitchers -- after all, he’s a catcher. But he joked that opposing arms may not be keen to share their secrets with one of the sport’s premier power hitters.

“Maybe talk to hitters about what they like to do,” Raleigh said. “Again, it's maybe playing close to the vest. But I think baseball players are generally good about that stuff. You give back to the game, it gives back to you. So maybe just talking to them, being around a bunch of superstars, it'll be really cool.”

That Raleigh has soared in the vote speaks to how his national profile has skyrocketed this season. Already a fan favorite in Seattle -- as the centerpiece of one of the franchise’s most iconic moments and a relatable player for his blue-collar work ethic -- broader audiences have begun to catch on.

According to Mariners PR, Raleigh has fulfilled media requests -- this season alone -- with MLB Network, The Athletic, ESPN, The Wall Street Journal, FOX Sports, USA Today, Barstool Sports, GQ Magazine and The Dan Patrick Show, with more expected.

“All that stuff is great, just because it's helping get the Mariners out there and the rest of the team and all of our guys, and it helps with that,” Raleigh said. “And that's all good and fun. But at the end of the day, like I said, when 7 o'clock goes around, you've got to be ready to go and be there, mentally and physically. So it's just finding that balance and staying on top of it and keeping your head down.”

What’s been most impressive in his rapid rise has been Raleigh’s humility, and how grounded he’s remained while not losing a step in production. Just about everyone he’s close with has been asked how he’s balanced it all. 

“It's a fair question, and I think every player handles it differently,” Wilson said. “I think Cal has done a really excellent job of balancing all that and juggling all that. I think there's an element of being a catcher that when you take a foul tip, when you go back, then you're like, 'Oh yeah, there's a lot of work to be done here.' So I think there's a humbling that happens just by the position that you play. 

“But Cal is a unique individual, and he's handled all this tremendously well, and he wants to win. His desire to win is so strong, and so that remains his focus.”

Andrés Muñoz had only pitched once in a 14-day stretch and just four times in June when he took the mound on Tuesday -- in the eighth inning, of all things. The layoff had been due to game circumstances and his inning-specific role precluding him from pitching as regularly, particularly during the Mariners’ skid earlier this month.

So, immediately after a 1-2-3 frame with two strikeouts, he shared how he’s been staying on top of things.

“Oh, I've been throwing a lot of bullpens,” Muñoz said. “Every day. Every day, I get on the mound, trying to not lose the feeling of the pitches and keep working. Every day I do it, even if I haven't pitched a lot.”

Muñoz has been almost exclusively used in save situations or extra innings this season, a by-design effort to give him day-to-day clarity on when he’d pitch and also protect him from overuse, after he dealt with a back issue for much of last season. The only other outing this season in which he entered in the eighth was when completing a four-out save on May 17 in San Diego.

In years past, Muñoz was regularly deployed in the highest-leverage pockets -- regardless of the inning -- and Wilson was asked if Tuesday could be the first step towards that type of role.

“Each situation is very unique, so I don't know that there's been a shift in that at all,” Wilson said, “just more of a situation that presented itself.”

So, while it might have been a one-off, it could be worth monitoring.

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