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Cal Raleigh 2023 Outlook: Joey Gallo with Catcher Eligibility
2 years agoCal Raleigh will forever be remembered for the HR that finally sent Seattle into the postseason, but his 2022 numbers also delivered plenty of fantasy juice. He hit .211/.284/.489 with 27 HR in just 415 PAs and the pop was legit. His 55.7 FB% was insane, but it works when you have a 19.1% HR/FB backed by 94.8 mph of average airborne exit velocity and a 15.4% rate of Brls/BBE. Raleigh also pulled 31.2% of his flies, making them even more valuable. Unfortunately, the poor batting average was also real. Raleigh struck out 29.4% of the time last season, and his 15.3 SwStr% suggests that he deserved all of those whiffs. Furthermore, the same 55.7 FB% that supports his home runs also gives his .226 BABIP staying power. Maybe the new shift rules will help him boost his average a little, as Raleigh was shifted against at every opportunity last year. Regardless, a catcher with a solid chance of cracking 30+ HR is a good value at his ADP of 154.46 provided you prepare for the batting average hit.
