Are you ready to dump the Cal Raleigh and hit the waiver wire?
If you drafted Raleigh for your fantasy baseball team this spring, you weren’t alone. Fantrax consensus rankings had him as the undisputed C1, fueled by a historic 2025 where he mashed 60 home runs, eclipsing Ken Griffey Jr.’s single-season Mariners record by four. It was enough production that his ADP this year was 14, which meant most of you spent a second-round pick on him.
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If you expected a 60-HR encore, you ignored the experts’ take. Analysts like Bryan Jaeger spent all winter warning of a regression. Most preseason projections had him pegged closer to 40, accounting for the natural variance that follows a statistical unicorn season. After a glacial start that left fantasy managers staring at a .150 average and a zero in the home run column for the first two weeks of April, Cal has finally started to find his rhythm. He recently homered in three straight games to reach five on the young season. Still, the math is sobering: he’s currently tracking closer to 30 than 40+.
Before you rage-drop the most powerful catcher in the game, consider the landscape. No one on the waiver wire will flirt with 30 home runs at the catcher position. Trading him now is the definition of selling low. Instead of giving in to your panic, accept the 10–15 HR deficit and close the gap elsewhere on your roster.
The Reality of the Catcher Position
In fantasy baseball, the catcher position is often a black hole for offensive production. When you drafted Raleigh, you weren’t just buying the hope of 60 home runs; you were buying a positional advantage. That hasn’t changed. Even at a projected 30-homer pace, Raleigh remains a top-tier asset because the replacement level at catcher is so low.
The “Big Dumper” is a rare breed who provides elite power from a premium position. The goal shouldn’t be to replace him, but to supplement him.
Option 1: The Average Sacrifice
Are you looking good in batting average? If you’re one of the 90% of Fantrax managers rostering Luis Arraez (SF), you have a power vacuum. Arraez is the gold standard for contact, currently slashing .324 through late April. However, he has exactly zero home runs in 2026. Preseason projections for him hover around a meager five or six homers for the entire year.
While Arraez keeps your team average afloat, he does nothing to help you catch up in the power categories. Meanwhile, Nolan Gorman (STL) is currently available in 47% of leagues. Gorman is the polar opposite of Arraez; he will strike out at a 30% clip, but he has the raw power to hit 25–30 homers. With a projection of 23+ HRs remaining, swapping out some batting average for a slugger like Gorman recovers your entire Raleigh deficit in one move.
Option 2: The Speed for Home Runs Swap
Did you draft for speed? Jose Caballero currently appears on 81% of rosters. After moving to the Yankees, he has been a revelation on the base paths, already recording 10 stolen bases through April 26. Managers love him for his 30-steal floor, but he offers very little in the way of pop. Analysts project he will hit approximately six home runs on the year.
If your stolen base category is safe, it’s time to move Caballero while his value is high. Another steal category winner to dangle in a trade would be Chandler Simpson. There should be a trade available that would bring back a player who could hit 15-20 home runs.
If that fails, then look to the wire for Ryan McMahon (NYY) or Matt Wallner (MIN).
Ryan McMahon: Now enjoying the short porch in the Bronx, McMahon is a consistent 20-homer threat who could easily push for 25 in that lineup.
Matt Wallner: Despite a slow start (.190 AVG), Wallner shows elite exit velocity, and experts project him to hit 23–25 home runs.
Both are available in roughly 50% of leagues and can provide the home run volume needed to offset Raleigh’s regression.
Option 3: Cycle your utility positions
Almost every league has a utility position. If you see a home run hitter on the waiver wire that will have a few games at Cincinnati or Dodger stadiums, cycle through those players. Better yet, find anyone playing in Sutter Health Park, the A’s temporary launchpad in Sacramento,
Look for players who are on a home run hot streak. Nathan Church (STL) and Nathaniel Lowe (CIN) have both hit four home runs in the last week. Add them, and when they cool off, look for the next candidate.
Final Thoughts on Dumping Cal Raleigh
Despite a slow start, Raleigh’s underlying metrics are stabilizing. In the last seven-day period, he had a .780 slug with an OPS of 1.189. The “Big Dumper” isn’t broken; he’s just human. The 60-homer season was a very nice, unexpected ride. He’s still a top fantasy catcher.
Fantasy baseball is all about the math. You just need to squeeze out 2 more home runs a month from somewhere else.
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