We’re officially in that stretch of the season where the ‘Judge Watch’ infographics are being put to use. This time, it’s the Seattle Mariners’ Big Dumper who is under watch to break the American League record set by the six-time MLB star—Aaron Judge—for hitting 62 home runs in the 2022 season. Specifically, after Friday’s matchup against the Texas Rangers.
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Well, the Rangers intentionally walked the Big Dumper Cal Raleigh. Not once, but twice. In the third inning, shortstop J.P. Crawford led off with a single. Following that, Julio Rodriguez hit a double.
When the runners were on second and third with no outs, Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux came out of the dugout and exchanged words with starter Nathan Eovaldi. Afterward, the team decided to walk Raleigh intentionally.
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Rangers intentionally walked Cal Raleigh to load the bases with nobody out in the 3rd inning pic.twitter.com/yvmTCPpBpc
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 28, 2025
They ignored the risk of loading the bases. Well, that helped the Mariners score two runs. In the next inning, with runners on and two outs, the Rangers again made a call to intentionally walk Raleigh. Two free passes, yep. It probably reflected the ‘Big Dumper’ fear.
The strategy, however, makes sense. Raleigh has notched 10 home runs this month that has contributed to his league-high 32 home runs this season. Per Statcast, he has been able to maintain an average bat speed of 74.9 mph all through the season.
Moreover, Raleigh has already surpassed Johnny Bench’s record of 28 home runs by a catcher. Perhaps he will also shatter Salvador Perez’s 48 home run record in one season. And if he is able to break that, then Judge’s AL record of 62 won’t be so far-fetched.
After the Rangers’ decision to hand Raleigh two free passes, MLB fans have again landed on the fiery debate involving the two standouts of the league—Aaron Judge and Cal Raleigh.
Fans react to Rangers’ strategy to intentionally walk Raleigh
It was certainly a strategic move to walk Raleigh not once but twice. And it made sense. “About time they did this to him,” wrote one fan. Well, it was Texas’ manager Bruce Bochy’s choice to walk Raleigh. Clearly, with his 32 home runs and .658 slugging percentage, he has been dangerous for the opposing teams.
“They don’t do that for Judge,” another fan claimed. In his last 162 games, Judge has been walked 24 times. Raleigh might have been walked twice in one game itself, but Judge is no less of a feared batter.
According to fans, there was nothing wrong with the Rangers’ strategy to walk Raleigh. “Set up the double play; I see nothing wrong with it,” a netizen chimed in. Raleigh is somebody who can effortlessly clear the bases with just one swing. So, the Rangers’ strategy paid off, as Seattle could score only two runs. This was a risky move but still they were able to save themselves from Raleigh hitting a big one.
But it was more than avoiding a home run. “First is open; it makes sense. Sets up the force everywhere,” wrote another fan. By giving a free pass to first base to Raleigh, the Rangers opened up force play at all bases for them. That’s simply the way to deal with one of the league’s most dangerous hitters.
It, however, didn’t come across as a big deal for those who believe intentional walks are regular for Judge. Well, even if it is, now Raleigh is in that company too. “This happens to Aaron Judge every other game,” one fan wrote. It was only recently that the Los Angeles Angels intentionally walked Judge in each of his first two at-bats.
But hey, this time, it’s about Raleigh. The league has started to view him differently. And rightly so!
Written by
Edited by
Abhishek Rajan