Tuesday, October 27

SEATTLE -- You’d have to peer closely to see it, but the change to Cal Raleigh’s setup in the batter’s box is distinct. 

And though the sample size is small since making the tweak, it appears to be making a substantial difference. 

“Little adjustments like that sometimes can go a long way,” the Mariners’ catcher said. 

Specifically, Raleigh is raising his hands higher within his stance as the pitcher comes set. Doing so helps him get to his “fire position” sooner, the moment in which he uncoils into his swing. Raleigh says it creates better rhythm, timing -- and room for error.

“I get there every time, but it's just, how early can I do it?” Raleigh said. “So I don’t have to worry about getting it back on time. 

“By being a little higher, a little more back, I'm a little more in that position from where I fire from. I don't really have to go searching or be on the perfect timing every time. I can have more room for error, for being on time for the fastball and a little more back on the offspeed.”

Every player tinkers throughout the season. But when it’s a bonafide star, in the midst of a drastic dropoff, then sees immediate -- and profound -- results, everyone takes notice.

(L) Raleigh in his old stance during the Mariners' series in Houston from Aug. 14-16. (R) His new setup during an at-bat that ended with a homer on Seattle's recent homestand.

Raleigh homered five times on the Mariners’ 4-2 homestand, including his first career three-homer game in Monday’s 9-2 win over the Phillies. That one featured two deep flies against Zack Wheeler, one of the best pitchers of this generation. 

Raleigh also went yard from the right side, in Friday’s win against Cubs lefty Matthew Boyd, and his hands were also noticeably higher in the other and his less-used batter's box for that one. 

After just 13 long balls in his first 392 plate appearances of 2026, Raleigh’s most recent five came in his past 24 plate appearances over the homestand -- all since making the adjustment, which occurred a few days earlier.

Of note, the Mariners are 12-4 this season when Raleigh homers and went 38-11 in such games in 2025.

“Physically, I'm trying to get my hands back sooner, and I feel like I'm doing a better job of that,” Raleigh said. “And then mentally, it's just been about, like I said, that belief and just having that hope and that optimism every single day. Not getting too down, not getting too up, and trying to just be ready and prepared for the game.”

This wasn’t just a random initiative of a player searching for answers.

Raleigh huddled with coaches during last week in Milwaukee, and director of hitting strategy Edgar Martinez was among the leading voices to identify the possible benefits. 

The braintrust centered on addressing the pitches that Raleigh has been most susceptible to this season -- elevated fastballs -- and how moving his hands higher could help get his barrel to them more seamlessly. 

“Edgar is a big proponent of it,” Raleigh said. “He always has been.”

Monday’s first homer against Wheeler was on precisely that type of pitch, at 95 mph and on the upper rail but within the strike zone. Raleigh slugged .538 against elevated heaters within the zone last year, compared to .250 this season entering the homestand.

That homer also came in a 1-0 count, which is just as much part of this discussion. 

Mechanics aside, Raleigh is positioning himself for success by working into more favorable counts. Four of the homestand’s five homers were when he was ahead, and the lone outlier -- against Boyd -- was on the very first pitch.

This season, Raleigh entered Wednesday hitting .255 when ahead in the count compared to .087 when behind. 

“It’s much better when you're in the driver's seat,” Raleigh said. “When you're in the driver's seat, you can have a little more freedom.”

It’s also not just about the swings, but the takes. 

Entering Wednesday, over his past 14 games, he’d walked in an whopping 24.5% of his plate appearances, second-highest behind Bryce Harper (24.6%) among 197 qualified hitters. That’s correlated to a .415 on-base percentage, easily the highest on the team.

If the mistake isn’t there, move on. 

“Maybe if it didn't show up in the at-bat, but it shows up in the next one,” Raleigh said. “You recognize and you get in more good counts. And if you do that more often, you're going to square something up. So, I think it's a constant trickle-down effect.”

Even after the huge homestand, Raleigh’s .167 batting average is, by far, the lowest among 138 hitters qualified for the batting title, and he likely won’t break the Mendoza Line this season. 

He’s come to grips with that. But if he can maintain this individual momentum for the final stretch, it could be seismic for Seattle’s playoff hopes.

“Obviously it stinks,” Raleigh said. “But at the same time, there's still a great opportunity in front of us, and there's a lot of optimism and a lot of things to look forward to and things to play for.”

The Mariners explicitly did not announce their rotation alignment for their upcoming series against Toronto. Could it be because a change is coming?

Bryce Miller was available in relief during Wednesday’s 6-0 loss to the Phillies -- but, per manager Dan Wilson, only to provide coverage for a thin bullpen and with Bryan Woo making his first start since experiencing right shoulder discomfort.

Still, it felt notable that the Mariners were exploring that as a possibility. 

Here’s more details on the situation, and what Miller said.

• George Kirby brought back “Furious George”

• J.P. Crawford returned from the IL, and could return more regularly to his old position

• Brendan Donovan was not wearing a helmet during a “freak accident” in the batting cages

• Colt Emerson was slated to undergo season-ending surgery this week

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