CatchersHome Weekly — August 23–29, 2026
August 30, 2026
Thank you for reading — this week handed us a record no catcher had ever held, a home run king who found his swing again in one night, and a Golden Spikes winner learning the California League one at-bat at a time.
An all-time record fell to a catcher who bats leadoff, a slumping home run king pulled three to right field in a single night, and three fastpitch catchers climbed a leaderboard that finally counts the work nobody films.
⭐ Player Spotlight
Sixty Homers, Then a .115 August — and the Swing That Came Back
Cal Raleigh’s front hip opened early, and pitchers attacked the flaw all season. Two weeks after the diagnosis, he pulled three home runs to right field in one night.
🏆 Top 10 Stories of the Week
1. Catchers Bat Ninth. Carter Jensen Bats First — and Just Set an All-Time Record.
Jensen led off in Toronto and drove one 421 feet — his fifth leadoff homer of 2026, the most any catcher has ever hit in a single season.
2. He Was Batting .115. Then He Hit Three Home Runs in One Night.
Raleigh pulled all three to right field against the Phillies — the first Mariner to go deep three times at T-Mobile Park in the ballpark’s 27 years.
3. Six Players Have Hit 15 Double-A Homers Before Turning 20. Rainiel Rodriguez Is the Sixth.
Rodriguez reached 20 home runs at age 19 while slashing .407 in August. The names ahead of him: Stanton, Tatis Jr., Basallo, Chourio, and De Vries.
4. Three Days Off the IL, He Hit the Homer That Tied It.
Basallo’s two-run homer traveled 411 feet and erased a 2-0 deficit in the eighth — three days after a 31-day shoulder IL. Baltimore walked it off in the tenth.
5. Four Levels in Five Months. Caden Bodine Just Ran Out of Levels.
The Rays moved their 22-year-old catcher up to Triple-A Durham on plate discipline and game-calling — 14 walks against 8 strikeouts in his last 25 Double-A games.
6. Thirteen Days on the IL. He Came Back and Hit No. 35.
Goodman returned from a shoulder strain and homered the same night, snapping Colorado’s seven-game losing streak. His 35 home runs rank fifth in the majors.
7. The Trophies Stayed in Athens. The Work Got on the Plane.
Eleven games into pro ball, the 2026 Golden Spikes winner went 4-for-6 with three RBI as Fresno won in eleven innings. His first four-hit night.
▶ Watch the report: Golden Spikes to Fresno: Daniel Jackson’s First Pro Four-Hit Game
8. She Called Pitches All Season. Then She Hit the Grand Slam.
Mcartney Harrington batted .546 with 15 homers, won Championship Series MVP, and caught South Caldwell to a second straight 6A title. Clemson gets her next.
9. First Out of 45. No Team to Hide Behind.
Sharlize Palacios topped the AUSL All-Star Cup Series 2 leaderboard with 370 points — a home run, MVP honors, and the captain’s spot for Series 3.
10. Three Hits in Six Games. She Still Climbed 14 Places.
Atwood caught a two-hit shutout to close Series 3 and won Defensive MVP. Her bat stayed quiet, and the Cup’s math paid her for the shutout anyway.
🧤 Gear Corner
Heart of the Hide vs. Jen Schro: Which Fastpitch Mitt Should She Buy?
Two premium fastpitch mitts, nearly the same money, and one difference most buying guides skip. If she throws left-handed, the decision is already made for you.
💬 We’d love to hear from you — email us at comments@catchershome.com.
🍃 One More Thing
Dust on the shin guards,
one hundred fifty pitch calls —
your pitcher counts them.
Keep working. We’ll see you behind the plate next week.
— The CatchersHome Team
