Raleigh squeezing in as much Spring Training as possible after Classic

PEORIA, Ariz. -- For all the rigors he takes, Cal Raleigh has often brushed them off by saying “motion is lotion.”

And that’s been especially true for the Mariners’ all-world catcher since returning to Spring Training from the World Baseball Classic on Thursday -- even as temperatures have reached historic highs in the Phoenix Valley.

“You can have the best spring in the world, and then get up there and things don't go your way,” Raleigh said of the Mariners' 4-2 win over the White Sox. “And then vice versa, you can have a terrible spring. And so I don't put too much talk into it. I'm more just trying to put stock into my approach and making sure I'm accomplishing that more so than the results.”

During his first day back, Raleigh pushed manager Dan Wilson to be added to Seattle’s Cactus League lineup as the designated hitter against the A’s at Hohokam Stadium -- the furthest ballpark from Seattle’s facility -- during peak rush hour. He went 1-for-5 with a 109.4 mph double off the batter’s eye with the bases loaded.

Then at 11 a.m. the next morning, he squatted behind the dish for a nine-inning ‘B’ game on the Peoria Sports Complex back fields to catch Logan Gilbert in their tuneup for Opening Day. On a cloudless, 102-degree day, he also had eight plate appearances, drawing four walks and hitting a homer.

Then on Friday night, he was back at it under the lights at Peoria Stadium, going 1-for-4 with a double in a 7-1 loss to the Cubs while catching eight innings in the final Cactus start for George Kirby, who added a reverse PitchCom device while Raleigh was away.

And, just for good measure, he was at DH again for Sunday's road game against the White Sox.

“I'm just trying to get as many reps in as I can before the season, trying to get back into that flow of playing every day,” Raleigh said. “Part of the WBC [is] you're in different roles and you're getting lots of days off. You just want to get back accustomed to seeing live arms.”

Part of this rigorous sprint to the Spring Training finish is rooted in Raleigh’s regimen, but it’s also because he didn’t see as much playing time as might’ve been expected for Team USA at the Classic.

He was in just three of their seven games over the 18 days while away from the Mariners.

The Classic’s extremely truncated nature compared to, say, MLB’s postseason, typically leads teams to ride the hottest hand. And Raleigh’s lack of volume probably had a correlation to performance, as he went 0-for-9 with five strikeouts and four walks. The Dodgers’ Will Smith wound up starting the semifinal against the Dominican Republic and the final vs. Venezuela.

But Raleigh relished the chance to play alongside Aaron Judge, with whom he’s developed a closer bond after their summer-long race for last year’s AL MVP Award, and catch reigning Cy Young Award winners Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes.

“Talking to some people that had done it before, it's hard to prepare for that, just in the sense of you go from Spring Training games and offseason straight into playoff-atmosphere baseball,” Raleigh said. “It was very special. It was an honor, obviously, to put on those uniforms and those colors, and it was a lot of fun. And I would definitely do it again.

“It's crazy though, just being back; I feel like I was gone forever.”

Between the lack of playing time and viral exchange with Mariners teammate Randy Arozarena, which has since been cleared, Raleigh probably experienced more unexpected adversity at the Classic than anyone. And that may also be why he returned to Arizona even more motivated.

“We're all ready,” Raleigh said. “We're ready to get going. I know the guys that have been here for a while are too, so it's usually how it gets at this time of camp.”

Raleigh will naturally be one of the sport’s leading storylines in 2026, for how he follows up a season in which he soared into the global spotlight. No one expects him to swat 60 home runs again, but they will expect him to lead the Mariners on an even deeper playoff run than coming eight outs shy of their first World Series last year.

He does, too, more than anyone.

Which is why these final days in Arizona are being treated more deliberately. Because Raleigh truly believes that the work being put in now can make a difference down October’s road.