Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The Seattle Mariners have surged into a two-game division lead during a key stretch this season.
- Their recent success coincides with veteran star Cal Raleigh's extended absence and some off-field controversies.
- The next few months will test whether leadership changes can turn a talismanic figure into a team asset again.
Don’t look now, but the streaking Seattle Mariners have seemingly found their momentum in a mediocre AL West.
Unsurprisingly, they’re doing it without veteran catcher Cal Raleigh.
Raleigh, last year’s AL MVP runner-up, has missed the last three weeks with an oblique injury. The Mariners confirmed on Wednesday that he’ll begin a rehab assignment on Sunday and could return during the next homestand, which begins on June 16.
It's too bad that the Mariners can't keep Raleigh, who mustered just a .560 OPS in nearly 200 plate appearances before his IL stint, as far away from the team as possible.
Raleigh may be an established All-Star and a potent power threat, but it’s evident that the Mariners are actually a far better team without him.
Cal Raleigh’s attitude and lack of leadership was only dragging the Mariners down
Mariners fans and Raleigh apologists won’t want to hear this, especially given his sensational 2025 season.
But given how poorly Raleigh handled the extra attention this past offseason, coupled with his terrible start to the 2026 campaign, could you truly blame anyone who doesn’t miss him in the everyday lineup?
Raleigh turned heads during the World Baseball Classic for publicly feuding with Mariners teammate Randy Arozarena. While playing for Team USA, Raleigh refused to shake hands with Arozarena, who had suited up for Team Mexico. Both players later apologized, though Raleigh’s follow-up left a bad impression on some observers’ minds.
“I reached out to Randy and told him, essentially, 'I'm sorry if you felt disrespected,' or whatever it may be,” Raleigh said in March, adding that he’d have wanted the same mindset from Arozarena if the situation occurred against an opposing team in a playoff game.
Nothing says leadership more than a variation of the “I’m sorry if you were offended” apology.
It’s telling that Seattle is 12-6 in Raleigh’s absence, and the Mariners have since clawed their way back from an underwhelming start to own a two-game lead in the AL West entering Thursday.
Interestingly, Arozarena is hitting just .222 with a .688 OPS in Raleigh’s absence.
For his sake, Raleigh should use the last few months as an opportunity to reflect and ask himself how he can improve as the Mariners’ unofficial captain.
Is it possible that Raleigh’s terrible 2026, both on and off the field, could be a result of the increased pressure following his 60-home run season? Sure, and it’d be relatively understandable.
But for the Mariners to finally reach their first World Series in franchise history, they need Raleigh to get healthy and get with the program. No more public feuds and no more desperately trying to hit home runs; Raleigh’s 31.5 percent strikeout percentage and 9.9 percent walk rate are markedly worse than last year’s 26.7 percent and 13.8 percent.
Raleigh is under contract through 2031, so there’ll be no rumors about the Mariners trading him and attempting to maximize his value. Julio Rodríguez might be the face of the franchise, but Raleigh is the man who Seattle needs at his best upon returning.
Otherwise, Raleigh will be hearing the boo birds throughout the summer, even from an impressively patient Mariners fanbase. Slumps are one thing, but fans can only handle so much when a poor attitude is involved.
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