Pitchers aren't hiding disrespect for Mariners' Cal Raleigh amid hitless slump

For the second time in as many years, Cal Raleigh is flirting with history. It's just that an 0-for-36 hitless streak and a .157 batting average don't strike the same chord as 60 home runs. He can't buy a hit, and least of all against the fastball.

When even a lineup shuffle didn't get the 2025 AL MVP runner-up going on Sunday, we noted how opposing pitchers had become more aggressive against him. And after he took another 0-fer in the Seattle Mariners' 3-1 win over the Houston Astros on Monday, the trend is even more pronounced.

In April, four-seam fastballs accounted for 34.7 percent of the pitches Raleigh saw. So far in May, that rate is up to 50.0 percent. Out of all hitters who have seen at least 100 pitches this month, only Nathaniel Lowe and Rafael Devers have seen four-seamers more often.

In itself, the fact that Raleigh is still hitless since April 27 proves this is a sound strategy. And given that he has a 29.8 Whiff% and just 88.5 mph average exit velocity — compared to league averages of 21.8 and 91.6 — against four-seamers this month… yeah, he really is overmatched.

Cal Raleigh's struggles against fastballs say it all about how deep his slump goes

Beyond just good strategy, the way in which pitchers are going all-in on fastballs against Raleigh feels like a blend of disrespect and psychological warfare.

There "Here it is, hit it" aspect of the approach is obvious, and the fact that Raleigh can't follow through has to be maddening. His 60-homer season in 2026 was fueled largely by regular punishment of four-seamers, against which he slugged .591 with 24 of his homers.

This year? He's 5-for-54 with just two of his seven homers against four-seamers.

So, go figure that he doesn't sound terribly confident right now. Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times was there after Sunday's loss to the Chicago White Sox, when Raleigh was apparently quiet when he told the press: “I’m trying to get there. Honestly, it’s not been great. It’s been really ugly. I’m trying to do my best to just compete up there.”

Whether or not such things show up in scouting reports, this was Raleigh saying the quiet part out loud about where his bat is right now. He had it in 2025. He just plain doesn't have it in 2026. As such, there isn't much point in messing around. Go right at him.

The name that's getting thrown around right now is Chris Davis, whose 0-for-54 hitless streak from 2018-19 and .168 batting average from 2018 are all-time marks for hitting ineptitude. Raleigh is a long way from breaking either record, but that he's even threatening to is not what anyone could have expected from him after his superstar breakout in 2025.

Raleigh is only 29 years old, whereas Davis was into his 30s when his bat abandoned him in the late 2010s. He therefore shouldn't be declining yet, and some aspects of his offensive profile (i.e. bat speed) suggest he's still too good to be this bad. And hey, at least he's healthy.

Alas, this is literally the extent to which anyone can sugarcoat how Raleigh is swinging it right now. He's lost up there, and pitchers have found that out.

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