Cal Raleigh, catcher for the Seattle Mariners, has been making the most of his time at Spring Training since returning from the World Baseball Classic on March 22. Despite high temperatures in Arizona, Raleigh said he is focused on preparing for the upcoming season by maximizing his playing opportunities.
Raleigh’s approach comes as he aims to regain a regular routine following limited playing time with Team USA during the Classic. He appeared in just three of seven games over an 18-day period and struggled offensively, going hitless in nine at-bats. “You can have the best spring in the world, and then get up there and things don’t go your way,” Raleigh said before a game against 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.”
Upon returning to Mariners camp, Raleigh requested to be added as designated hitter against Oakland at Hohokam Stadium and continued with a series of games as both catcher and DH over several days. His efforts included catching nine innings during a morning ‘B’ game under intense heat and participating in additional Cactus League contests.
Raleigh acknowledged that adjusting back from tournament play has required extra effort due to different roles and less consistent action with Team USA. “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,” he said.
Despite facing adversity during his time away—including limited opportunities on Team USA—Raleigh valued experiences such as working alongside players like Aaron Judge and catching top pitchers Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes. “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,” Raleigh said.
Looking ahead, expectations remain high for Raleigh following last year’s breakout performance where he became one of baseball’s notable storylines by nearly helping lead Seattle to its first World Series appearance.
