Cal Raleigh is on the upswing
The Big Dumper is flattening out (boos) to get back to his prior success (cheers).
Apr 7, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) hits an rbi single during the fifth inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images The Seattle Mariners didn’t need a copy of Cal Raleigh’s MVP-caliber 2025 to repeat as AL West champions this year. What they *will* need is not to repeat his frigid first foray in the big leagues back in 2021.
Hard as it may be to remember (or, all too easy after the first two weeks of this season), Raleigh hit a brick wall in his first big league taste. He went . 180/.
223/. 309 in his first 148 plate appearances across 47 games, a grisly 46 wRC+ with an unseemly 35. 1% strikeout rate while walking just seven times in the bigs that year.
It wasn’t until his 2022 return that Raleigh solidified himself as a star, in Seattle and then across the sport. Now, those expectations loom even larger, with the Big Dumper mucked up and mired in a . 143/.
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