Chinese Taipei captured the 2025 Little League World Series title with a 7-0 victory over Nevada, ending a six-year US-champion streak and marking the first international crown since 2017. Lin Chin-Tse flirted with a no-hitter into the fifth as Taipei’s pitching and defense stifled the Mountain Region. Early runs and a bases-clearing hit in the fifth iced it, while Nevada’s miscues and wild pitches amplified the gap. Aruba’s international run and Connecticut’s bronze finish highlighted a 20-team event that showcased a new generation of global youth-ball talent.

Cal Raleigh hit his 49th home run, the most ever by a catcher in MLB history, passing Salvador Perez’s 48 in 2021. He’s chasing 50, and Seattle erupted as he homered twice in two innings after a five-game drought.

For fantasy, Raleigh’s pace elevates him to elite catcher status with huge power and RBI potential, reshaping late-season rostering.

Historically, Bench, López and Piazza defined the record before Perez’s mark, and Raleigh’s surge adds another landmark in catcher power and Seattle’s lineup.

Cal Raleigh's 49th home run on Sunday sets the catcher single-season record, with 30 games left in 2025 to add to it. He has 40 of his 49 from behind the plate, plus elite defense and 14 steals, fueling a 7.0 WAR as Seattle chases the AL West and a playoff berth. The Mariners signed Raleigh to a six-year, 105 million extension through 2030, a bargain if this pace continues.

Raleigh's historic power, combined with his framing and throwing, makes him a centerpiece in fantasy lineups, especially in leagues that reward both power and position flexibility. With Judge and the Yankees slumping, Raleigh's MVP chatter grows as Seattle rides this breakout into the stretch run.

Cal Raleigh is rewriting catcher-era math in 2025, cracking MLB-leading power while catching nearly every day for Seattle. His 49 homers push the position beyond its defense-first stereotype and inject premium fantasy upside into the Mariners’ lineup. Raleigh’s pace sparks talk of all-time catcher records as Seattle leans on a strong pitching staff and elite protection in the middle of the order.

Perez’s 48-HR pace from 2021 stands as the ceiling Raleigh chases, and his surge could yield multiple records by season’s end. With Seattle’s rotation humming, Raleigh’s bat could redefine catcher fantasy value and reshape how managers allocate power at the position in coming seasons.