We move to number 44 on our top 100 countdown and take a look at Florida State catcher Cal Raleigh.
After hitting .469 with 10 home runs as a senior in high school, he was ranked the 169th best prospect in the country by Perfect Game.
He played in 63 games as a freshman in 2016 and hit .301 in 229 at-bats with 45 runs scored, 16 doubles, 10 home runs, 50 RBI, 42 walks and 46 strikeouts.
Raleigh was named a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American, and was named to the All-ACC Freshman Team among other awards.
That summer he played in the Cape Cod League where he hit .204 in 98 at-bats with 10 runs scored, 1 home run, 9 RBI, 8 walks and 25 strikeouts.
He was the only player to start all 69 games for the Seminoles in 2017, but hit just .227 on the season. However, he still scored 51 runs, hit 9 home runs and drove in 39, while walking 39 times and striking out 39 times.
At 6-foot-3, 225 Cal might be outgrowing the catcher position at the next level, but he certainly has the skill set to stick behind the plate.
If not, he has a good enough bat to be a first baseman or designated hitter at the next level.
The drop in average in his sophomore season is a bit concerning, but there wasn’t an increase in strikeouts, so he’s still making contact, just not finding holes.
I think his average levels out this year and he continues to show double-digit home run pop. Regardless, he should be one of the top catching prospects in college baseball this season.
