Cal Raleigh still working to avoid joining Evan White in unwanted Mariners history

It's almost unbelievable to think that Cal Raleigh was in close contention with Aaron Judge for the AL MVP award last year. The Raleigh of last year doesn't seem remotely like the same person as the Raleigh of this year, and the offensive slump has been unforgiving. By August 1st, he had a 70 wRC+ which was the fourth-worst of any player with at least 300 plate appearances.

Recently, his fortunes have reversed and since August 1st. He has resembled the Raleigh of old, posting a 169 wRC+ with an astounding 10 home runs and four doubles. He's hitting the ball harder, pulling it more often, and walking more, but even if he continues this torrid streak through the end of the regular season, it may still not be enough to bail him out of a tragic peer group.

Cal Raleigh could be one of just two Mariners to finish a season with a batting average below .200

Even at his best, Raleigh has never hit for average. Last year, his 13.8% walk rate and .589 slugging percentage helped compensate for an otherwise concerning .247 batting average. He's averaged just .220 over his entire big league career so it's unsurprising that in his worst year yet, he's sitting at a .184 average after 458 plate appearances. It's not out of the question that he finishes under the Mendoza line, but he wouldn't actually be the first Mariner to do so.

That "honor" would go to Evan White. Once a premier prospect who was ranked as high as No. 4 in Seattle's system and No. 56 overall, the Mariners were optimistic enough about him to sign him to a six-year contract before he even got a chance to debut. At the time, their confidence was well-placed given his success in the minor leagues and the relatively low financial commitment.

In his rookie year, the COVID-shortened 2020 season, White would finish the year with 202 plate appearances and a .176 batting average. He is currently the only player in franchise history to be considered qualified and fall below the .200 threshold and although his offensive contributions left much to be desired, at least he won a Gold Glove for his defensive efforts.

Evan White's tenure with the Mariners was forgettable, but he came back into vogue after Seattle signed Colt Emerson to an even more lucrative contract prior to his first big league plate appearance. The organization may be facing a similar dilemma with him, but he'll likely get more of a leash than White did.

Assuming Raleigh ends the season with 450 at-bats, he'd need a total of just 90 hits to eclipse a .200 average. That means he'll need 18 hits in his final 59 at-bats of the year, a reasonable .305 average. He's already averaging .358 over his last 15 games so he could even be ahead of schedule if he maintains his current pace but he can't afford any more cold stretches from now until the end of the month.

Through it all, Raleigh has remained steadfast and kept up a positive attitude, a difficult thing to do in a sport as incredibly frustrating as baseball. He may never forget his lost 2026 season, especially if he manages to make the wrong type of Mariners history. Nonetheless, his fate is still somewhat in his hands and there's a good chance he'll return to his normal self by the time 2027 rolls around.

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