CatchersHome Weekly — July 7–19, 2026
July 19, 2026
Thank you for being here for our first Sunday edition — it’s a double issue, and every story in it is for the catcher in your house.
🎥 Watch This Week’s CatchersHome Newscast
We owe you a double issue — and what a stretch to owe it for: a No. 3 overall pick, two history-making awards, and an All-Star Game called by a catcher.
⭐ Player Spotlight
He Made News Every Week. Here’s the Whole Story.
Vote leader, jammed thumb, a 37-year drought ended, and a live-mic All-Star masterclass — Shea Langeliers’ three-week run, tied into one blueprint every young catcher can copy.
🏆 Top 10 Stories of the Week
1. The First Catcher Off the Board — at No. 3 Overall
The Twins made Georgia Tech’s Vahn Lackey the third pick in the draft. The number that sold the scouts: 50 walks against just 38 strikeouts.
▶ Watch the report: Vahn Lackey Drafted No. 3 by the Twins
2. The Whole Country Heard Him Call the Game
Shea Langeliers started for the AL, caught Dylan Cease on a live mic, and America heard the pitch-calling behind three strikeouts in a 4-0 win.
3. The 60-Homer King Hit .169. Then He Said So Out Loud.
Cal Raleigh named his slump for what it was, traced it to a broken contact point after an oblique strain, and built his second-half reset around honesty.
▶ Watch the report: Cal Raleigh’s Second-Half Reset
4. Two IL Stints Couldn’t Take His Job
Giants catcher Daniel Susac was activated July 17 after his second injury comeback of the season. Catchers keep their role by working through rehab, not waiting.
▶ Watch the report: Daniel Susac Returns: The Giant Who Keeps Getting Back Up
5. 18 Years Old, and No Freshman Had Ever Won It
Kendall Wells hit .358 with 39 home runs at Oklahoma — and became the first freshman in history to win the Johnny Bench Award.
6. The Golden Spikes Went to a Catcher
Georgia’s Daniel Jackson swept college baseball’s major awards after the first 30-homer, 25-steal season in Division I history — done from behind the plate.
7. First Round, First Time: Helfrick Goes 15th to Arizona
Ryder Helfrick became the first Razorback catcher ever taken in the first round. What moved the draft board wasn’t the homers — it was 55 walks.
8. The No. 1 Catcher Prospect Isn’t Waiting a Year
Juliana “Goose” Hutchens reclassified a year early to join Oklahoma this fall — after a 23-homer sophomore season and a U-18 World Cup MVP.
▶ Watch the report: Goose Hutchens Reclassifies to Oklahoma a Year Early
9. 21 Years Old, and He Walked Off the Royals
Samuel Basallo turned a 1-2 count into a two-run walkoff homer at Camden Yards — his 15th of the year, a pace no catcher under 22 has ever reached.
10. She Wrote a Letter to Softball. Read It.
Alabama’s Marlie Giles finished with two WCWS home runs, an All-Tournament nod, and a farewell letter to the game that coaches shared across the country.
🧤 Gear Corner
Heart of the Hide vs. Jen Schro: The Premium Fastpitch Mitt Question
The two most-asked-about premium fastpitch catcher’s mitts, compared glove to glove — leather, break-in, fit, and which one is right for your catcher’s game.
💬 We’d love to hear from you — email us at comments@catchershome.com.
😄 One More Thing
Why are catchers the best students in school?
They never get rattled by a pop quiz.
Keep working. We’ll see you behind the plate next Sunday.
— The CatchersHome Team
