The Seattle Mariners will send Cal Raleigh back behind the plate and drop him one spot in the batting order Friday night when they open a series against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Manager Dan Wilson’s decision comes after Raleigh produced his most productive stretch of an otherwise difficult 2026 season during this week’s series victory over the Philadelphia Phillies, which makes Wilson’s choice to drop Raleigh in the lineup a bit odd.
Raleigh smashed three home runs in the opener against Philadelphia and added another the following day, giving him four long balls across his last three games.
The outburst offered a reminder of the power that defined his 2025 campaign, when he led the majors with 60 home runs and 125 RBIs. That historic year set a high bar that the catcher has struggled to approach this season.
Entering Friday’s game, Raleigh is hitting just .167 over 100 games and 354 at-bats, the lowest batting average of his career. He has scored 32 runs, collected 59 hits, and driven in 59 runs while posting an .342 slugging percentage and .625 OPS.
The recent homers have provided a welcome spark, yet the overall numbers still reflect a year of adjustment after last season’s peak.
On Wednesday, Raleigh occupied the cleanup spot as the designated hitter. For Friday’s matchup he will bat fifth and catch for right-hander Emerson Hancock.
The rest of the lineup features Randy Arozarena in left field, Dominic Canzone as the designated hitter, Julio Rodríguez in center, Josh Naylor at first base, Cole Young at second, Taylor Ward in right, J.P. Crawford at third, and Ben Rodden at shortstop.
The Mariners sit at 64-70, six games under .500, after a season that has fallen short of preseason expectations.
Even so, they remain only three games behind the American League West leaders and four games out of a wild-card position. Every series now carries extra weight as they try to stay in the playoff conversation.
Wilson’s choice to return Raleigh to catching duties and move him down in the order appears to be an attempt to keep him involved on both sides of the ball while riding the momentum of his recent power surge.
Whether the adjustment helps stabilize Raleigh’s season and gives Seattle a lift against Toronto will be tested starting Friday night at T-Mobile Park.
The Blue Jays series offers an immediate chance to see if the lineup tweak produces results for a club still searching for consistency.
