Seattle Mariners’ Julio Rodriguez Nominated for Gold Glove but Cal Raleigh Misses Out

Seattle Mariners center fielder Julio Rodríguez has been nominated for a Gold Glove Award for the first time in his career. This announcement was made after the finalists for the prestigious award were revealed. Interestingly, Rodríguez is the only player from the Mariners to make the list of finalists this year.
Snub of the Year: Cal Raleigh
In a surprising turn, Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, who won the 2024 AL Gold Glove and the Platinum Glove, missed out on a nomination this year. Despite his accolades last season and excellent defensive statistics, he was not included among the candidates for the 2025 award.
AL Center Field Finalists
- Julio Rodríguez – Seattle Mariners
- Kyle Isbel – Kansas City Royals
- Ceddanne Rafaela – Boston Red Sox
Rodríguez played in 158 games for the Mariners this season, accounting for 431 putouts from 441 chances, amassing six assists, two double plays, and four errors. His fielding run value reached 10, tying him with Isbel for the second spot among American League (AL) center fielders. Rafaela led with a fielding run value of 22.
Fielding Metrics
Player | Fielding Run Value | Range Value |
---|---|---|
Ceddanne Rafaela | 22 | 20 |
Kyle Isbel | 10 | 11 |
Julio Rodríguez | 10 | 9 |
AL Catcher Finalists
- Alejandro Kirk – Toronto Blue Jays
- Carlos Narváez – Boston Red Sox
- Dillon Dingler – Detroit Tigers
Raleigh finished the regular season with a fielding run value of 7 and did not allow any passed balls. Despite this, finalists Kirk, Narváez, and Dingler posted higher fielding run values of 22 and 12, respectively.
Mariners Pitching Highlights
With Raleigh as the primary catcher, the Mariners pitching staff finished sixth in ERA among AL teams at 3.87. The team was also second in the league in WHIP at 1.22 and shared sixth in opponent batting average at .241.
The exclusion of Cal Raleigh remains a talking point, as Mariners’ fans and analysts alike ponder the criteria behind the selections for this year’s Gold Glove awards.