After slow start, Raleigh not in lineup in series opener vs. NYY

SEATTLE -- The showdown between the two stars who were in a dead heat for last year’s AL MVP was put on hold for one day, or at least it was by first pitch between the Mariners and Yankees on Monday night.

Cal Raleigh, who’s in a notable -- albeit small-sample-sized -- slump to begin the regular season, was out of Seattle’s starting lineup when the club welcomed Aaron Judge and the Bronx Bombers to T-Mobile Park.

To be sure, most of the sport’s best catchers have also taken a breather already, including Shea Langeliers, Alejandro Kirk and William Contreras. Yet, for Raleigh, being out of the lineup altogether -- this early -- is out of the norm.

Last year, Raleigh was slated for his first full off-day on May 6 in Sacramento, but he came off the bench and ripped a game-winning double. He didn’t end up getting that full off-day until June 8 in Anaheim.

It’s worth noting that manager Dan Wilson said Raleigh would be available off the bench on Monday, as Mitch Garver made his first 2026 start at catcher.

Why now?

This is just as much about long-term load management as it is for Raleigh’s 2-for-15 start at the plate, which is more alarming since it includes 10 strikeouts.

The Mariners were actually more deliberate about his workload last year than it might’ve seemed, given that he logged 1,072 innings behind the plate (third-most in MLB). They anticipated a taper-off at some point and were prepared to act accordingly.

But that never happened. In fact, beyond his 60 homers, Raleigh played some of his best baseball in the playoffs.

“It's a chance for him to get some rest, for sure,” Wilson said. “Coming out of Spring Training, he had sort of a shorter Spring Training in a lot of ways, and didn't want to spike his workload too much.”

Indeed, Raleigh had an unusual camp.

He was away from the Mariners for 18 days while playing in the World Baseball Classic, but he only appeared in three games for Team USA, going 0-for-9 with six strikeouts. There also wasn’t an avenue for him to go through his robust routine regularly, as the WBC venues featured multiple teams under the same roof on the same days. Essentially, he couldn’t just go into the batting cage or get live at-bats whenever he wanted.

And when he was in Arizona, Raleigh was scrambling to get as many at-bats as possible -- with extra reps in live batting practice before Cactus League games began and as many as eight per game in Minors games upon returning.

It all pointed to the reality that he might be playing catch-up by Opening Day.

Why not use him at DH?

Raleigh started all but three games last year -- 121 at catcher and 38 at DH, with the latter role as a way to keep his bat in the lineup during a historic season.

But the DH spot won’t really be an option for him this season, at least not for now, as the Mariners have a platoon there between Rob Refsnyder, who has a .920 OPS vs. lefties since 2022, and Dominic Canzone, who hit two homers against righties over the weekend.

“The depth in our lineup, that certainly does help,” Wilson said, “and being able to not have to rely on him all the time for the DH spot too is great. And so I think this is, like I said, an opportunity where it kind of made a lot of sense today.”

Why is he struggling at the plate?

Raleigh has always been susceptible to strikeouts, as most elite power hitters are. But they were more glaring during Seattle's first series vs. Cleveland.

Raleigh K’d in each of his first eight at-bats, tying the most for any non-pitcher in the expansion era (since 1961), and his 10 through the first four games are the most ever for a Mariners hitter.

A lot of his strike-three calls were near the zone, but they were set up by much more atypical chases from Raleigh earlier in counts. He did break through with a single on Saturday and an RBI ground-rule double on Sunday.

“A day off for a catcher like that is always a mental reset -- not having to partake in the grind back there pitch-to-pitch and then take your ABs,” Wilson said. “There’s always value in just getting a complete day, too. So, in a lot of ways, it’s a mental and physical off-day.”