SEATTLE (AP) 鈥� Seattle Mariners switch-hitting catcher Cal Raleigh has used the same swing since he was nine years old.
Raleigh鈥檚 tried and true stroke worked out quite well for him during the 2025 season, one in which he finished runner-up for American League MVP honors and set the single-season record for home runs by a catcher with 60. The 29-year-old鈥檚 magnificent season helped the Mariners come within one win of their first World Series berth, and set sky-high expectations heading into 2026.
鈥淚 know the swing is good,鈥� Raleigh said. 鈥淩eally just trying to trust the approach, trust the plan, commit to it every single pitch.鈥�
Like many of his Mariners teammates, though, Raleigh hasn鈥檛 hit as well as he would like amid Seattle鈥檚 10-15 start, which includes to the Athletics. Even with a solo home run and a single in the Mariners鈥� latest defeat, Raleigh is hitting just .177 with a .538 OPS, his lowest since his rookie season.
Twenty-five games into the 2026 season, the Mariners find themselves in fourth place in the AL West, slotted ahead of only the bottom-feeding Houston Astros, who are tied for the most losses in major league baseball at 9-16.
First baseman Josh Naylor, who , still has a batting average below the Mendoza line. Julio Rodr铆guez has heated up considerably the last few weeks, but isn鈥檛 hitting for power in a fashion that the Mariners have grown accustomed to.
Seattle entered Tuesday鈥檚 game with 23 home runs as a team, good for 15th in the majors, yet only two teams have lower collective batting averages than their .218. The Mariners have taken their walks, but they aren鈥檛 driving runners in with clutch hits or home runs.
鈥淚 think we鈥檙e getting guys on base at a good rate for the most part. I see that,鈥� Raleigh said. 鈥淏ut, I think I鈥檓 guilty of this too 鈥� you get in those big spots and those big moments and each guy wants to do it.鈥�
Seattle won鈥檛 pull itself out of its season-opening quagmire with one win, or one series. It learned that after sweeping the Astros before dropping six of its next eight games.
Even so, Raleigh doesn鈥檛 think he is putting too much pressure on himself after a banner year, nor is anybody else.
鈥淲e all know that we want to be doing better than we are,鈥� Raleigh said. 鈥淏ut at the same time, it鈥檚 not going to help anybody in this room by trying to press and go out there and try to do more and try to be the guy. … I have faith in this group.鈥�
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