Gold Glovers Raleigh, Moore thrilled to see 'hard work pay off'

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SEATTLE -- As much as Cal Raleigh and Dylan Moore will appreciate the Gold Glove Award trophies heading their way after being selected as the American League winners at catcher and utility player, respectively, they’re just as eager to place the Rawlings gold nameplate on the leather that they’ll use every day from now on.

And both Mariners will do so in unique fashion.

For most of last season, Raleigh borrowed a mitt that belonged to Seby Zavala, even after the backup catcher was outrighted to Triple-A Tacoma in late June. Zavala didn’t play again in the Majors but had to use a different glove for 33 games with the Rainiers.

Because the process to break in a new glove takes a while, Raleigh simply couldn’t order a new one in-season, but he did give Zavala a nice gift in return -- and he’s already reached out to Rawlings for one with his own name on it for next year and beyond.

“I told them, I was like, ‘I want everything exactly how Seby ordered it, like all the specs,’” Raleigh said. “They all do little details and little things for certain padding in certain areas -- a little stiffer in this area, maybe a little looser. And I was like, 'I literally want Seby Zavala's glove remade over, except I want my name on it this time.’”

Moore, meanwhile, has an assortment of gloves based on whatever position he’s playing any given night, and because he’s regularly deployed all over the field -- he played every position but right field and catcher in 2024 -- he puts each glove to good use. So, fittingly, Moore intends to have the gold nameplate installed on each.

“I was thinking about that,” Moore said. “I think it’s going to have to go on all of them just in case, you know what I mean?”

Monday’s media session with the winners was also naturally reflective in nature, given how far each has come within the organization.

Raleigh, who was also a finalist in 2022, finally received the recognition that those within Seattle’s clubhouse have seen for years -- that he’s blossomed into one of the game’s best all-around backstops. With an old-school mentality, his father being a former college coach, Raleigh has put as much of a premium on the planning and preparation that goes into the position as his performance and production, which itself has been elite, given that he’s also nominated for the Silver Slugger Award.

“It’s always nice to kind of see your hard work pay off,” Raleigh said. “It was something, personally for me going into the season, I wanted to contend for. I have in the past and just never won it. It was really cool. You get to share it with your family and friends, and something that you know doesn’t happen every day.”

Moore’s defensive versatility has made him a borderline everyday player, given that he’s used to spelling others around the field when they need rest. He’s also served as a longer-term fill-in when injuries arise, as he did for shortstop J.P. Crawford and second baseman Jorge Polanco for extended stretches in 2024. Moore wound up playing in a career-high 135 games last season.

Recalling his early days with the organization, Moore, Seattle’s longest-tenured player, said: “I realized the value pretty quickly, making the team out of Spring Training, knowing I’m going to be the guy that’s going to be able to fill all those roles. I was looking around the league, and I’m like, ‘Hey, if they’re not worried about me on defense, they could plug me in anywhere and I’m going to get more at-bats.’ And that’s the key. That’s what you want to do. Individually, if you’re looking at your career as a whole, you want to get the most at-bats possible.”

Raleigh and Moore were both key cogs for the Mariners last season, thanks in large part to their masterful glovework in the field. And now they have the hardware to back it up.