In Team USA's win over Mexico in group play of the World Baseball Classic, two Seattle Mariners teammates stood on opposite sides of a heated rivalry. Cal Raleigh, AL MVP runner-up and starting catcher for Team USA, and Randy Arozarena, former All-Star and outfielder for Mexico. The two share the same field in Seattle, where they led the Mariners on its longest postseason run in decades just last season. On Monday night, though, Arozarena took issue with Raleigh's poor sportsmanship in a way that could impact the Mariners down the line.
Raleigh refused to shake Arozarena's hand during an at-bat in the Americans' 5-3 win over Mexico. It was an odd gesture, as Arozarena stuck his hand out for what felt like hours, only to be denied by Raleigh on a few occasions.
Cal Raleigh refuses to shake hands with his Mariners teammate Randy Arozarena pic.twitter.com/YpTxhHmH9P
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) March 10, 2026
Randy Arozarena blasts Mariners teammate Cal Raleigh
For those who know Arozarena, he is not one to live and let be. The Mariners outfielder called out Raleigh after Mexico's loss, and didn't understand the refusal to shake his hand since they are (seemingly) friends in Seattle and competing for the same goal. Raleigh took his role as catcher and leader for Team USA a little too seriously, and it might come back to haunt the Mariners in the long run.
“The only thing he should be thankful for is having such great parents,” Arozarena told Mexican journalist Luis Gilbert in Spanish. “He’s very well educated, thank God. I was lucky enough to see them a few days ago at the hotel. They came over to greet me, gave me a big hug, and were genuinely proud to see me again.”
Arozarena then went on to tell Raleigh personally to 'f*** off' and 'go to hell'.
“That ‘good to see you’ that he said to me,” Arozarena said. “He can shove it straight up his a**. I’m out.”
Now, I'm not qualified to know if Arozarena is merely joking with his teammate, or genuinely upset. Either way, it's not a great look for a Mariners team expected to make a run at the American League pennant this season.
How Randy Arozarena's beef with Cal Raleigh impacts the Mariners
Arozarena and Raleigh don't necessarily have to get along, as this would be a bigger story if the latter were beefing with one of the Mariners starting pitchers. It's Raleigh's job to manage the pitching staff, and provide some power in the lineup – which he did to the tune of 60 home runs in 2025. However, both are key contributors in the Mariners lineup and big locker room personalities. If Arozarena is genuinely upset with Raleigh – which is earnestly tough to tell – then the Mariners have a problem they need to squash as soon as these two get back to spring training.
Over the course of a long, 162-game season, there are bound to be moments when teammates annoy one another. From Seattle's perspective, though, one would hope that doesn't happen before the MLB season officially begins. Tensions run high in the World Baseball Classic. Both Raleigh and Arozarena take pride in representing their questions, which is probably why the former didn't want to be seen shaking hands with his new rival.
Arozarena is on the final year of his contract with the Mariners. If all else fails, they could always find a new home for the 31-year-old via trade. Let's hope it never comes to that, or perhaps Arozarena was fooling the media all along.