Analysis: A Deep Dive Into Mariners’ Slugger Cal Raleigh’s 2026 Struggles
It certainly has not been the smoothest of starts for the Seattle Mariners, or their star catcher Cal Raleigh. Dating back to the World Baseball Classic in March, Raleigh has been under the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. From Handshake Gate with teammate Randy Arozarena, to his subpar hitting, Raleigh is under a microscope this season.
Fair or not, the expectations are sky high. How could they not? After all, he became just the sixth player ever to reach 60 home runs in a season. Once you enter the same company as Babe Ruth, Aaron Judge, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Roger Maris, the expectations change.
Still, Raleigh has stumbled out of the gate in 2026. Why? Could it be the weight of those crushing expectations? Locker room trouble with teammate Randy Arozarena? Or just simply, the ebbs and flows of the grueling marathon that is a 162-game regular season? Or is he injured and trying to play through it?
