The Seattle Mariners will put catcher Cal Raleigh back in the starting lineup Thursday night as they open a series against the Athletics.
The club is coming off a series victory over the Boston Red Sox and now turns its attention to another stretch of games at home.
Starting pitchers for the opener are Jack Perkins for the Athletics and Mariners top prospect Kade Anderson, who is making his second major league start. Manager Dan Wilson adjusted the batting order from Wednesday’s game, with one of the more noticeable moves being Raleigh’s return after he sat out the previous contest.
Wilson also slid Raleigh back into the cleanup spot. He will hit fourth, behind Randy Arozarena, Dominic Canzone and Julio Rodriguez.
The full announced lineup, via Underdog MLB: “Mariners 9/3 R. Arozarena LF D. Canzone DH J. Rodríguez CF C. Raleigh C J. Naylor 1B C. Young 2B L. Montes RF J. Crawford SS B. Rodden 3B K. Anderson SP.”
That group gives Seattle a familiar look at the top of the order while giving Anderson another chance to show what he can do against major league hitters.
Raleigh’s 2026 season has been a struggle compared with what he did a year earlier.
The former All-Star catcher entered this year after leading the league with 60 home runs and 125 RBIs. He finished second in American League MVP voting behind only New York Yankees star Aaron Judge.
This season has gone in the opposite direction for much of the year, even with a recent stretch of better play that earned him AL Player of the Week honors.
Raleigh is batting .172 in 105 games. In 437 at-bats he has 35 runs, 64 hits, 20 home runs and 55 RBIs. His slugging percentage sits at .359 and his OPS is .645.
Those numbers are a far cry from the power display he put on last season, when he was one of the most feared hitters in the American League.
Getting him back in the middle of the order gives the Mariners a chance to see if that recent surge can carry over into the Athletics series.
Wilson’s decision also keeps Raleigh behind the plate, pairing him with Anderson for the young pitcher’s second start.
Anderson’s presence on the mound is another storyline for Thursday. The organization has high hopes for him, and a second outing against a big-league lineup will offer more information about how quickly he can adjust.
Arozarena, Canzone and Rodriguez at the top of the order give Seattle speed and contact in front of Raleigh, who still has the ability to drive the ball when he connects.
Naylor, Young, Montes, Crawford and Rodden fill out the rest of the lineup in what amounts to a fairly standard mix of veterans and younger pieces.
The Athletics series begins a new chapter after the Red Sox games. How Raleigh responds in the cleanup spot could help set the tone for the next few nights.
Seattle will look for him to produce the kind of at-bats that made him an MVP candidate last year, even if the overall numbers this season have not matched that level.
Wilson’s lineup card for Thursday shows the club is willing to keep giving Raleigh those opportunities in a key spot in the order.
