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Mariners' catcher Cal Raleigh has been a standout figure in media circles and throughout the league, thanks to his lefthanded power stroke, elite arm behind the plate, and impeccable handling of one of the league's top pitching staffs. Raleigh has led all catchers in homers over the past two seasons, launching many of his prodigious long balls from the left side. Twenty-six of Raleigh's 30 homers in 2023 were from the lefty's batter's box. However, this season, he's striving to balance it out.
This spring, the Mariner backstop fully bought into Offensive Coordinator Brant Brown's philosophy, and we are seeing the results. In an offseason article from Seattle Sports 710, Raleigh hinted toward some key adjustments.
""I'm Trying to clean up some lower-half issues with the left-handed swing, just trying to be in a better position to hit for a longer time. Basically, I'm trying to give myself more of a window to kind of drive balls to all fields... And then obviously, I want to get better from the right side, and I want to be able to work on some things there trying to get better direction, better bat path from the right side.""Cal Raleigh on Seattle Sports 710
According to Scott Servais, Cal has indeed made some specific adjustments from the right side. These changes have allowed him to utilize his lower half better and tap into his legs, leading to a noticeable surge in his RH power. The 27-year-old leads the team in home runs (8), with four from each side.
Cal Raleigh has found power from both sides of the plate
Cal Raleigh with an absolute tank shot into the Crawford Boxes off Josh Hader.
— Daniel Kramer (@DKramer_) May 5, 2024
109.2 mph off the bat, 394 feet -- and it puts the Mariners ahead, 5-4, here in the 9th inning. pic.twitter.com/1UL9IA5WJK
In a press conference before the Mariners' game one matchup with the Minnesota Twins, Servais playfully set the bar high for Cal, envisioning him hitting homers from the right side this year and emulating Ichiro from the left side. All jesting aside, if he can maintain his new approach from the right side, we could witness a substantial power surge for the former second-round pick. Could we dare to dream of 35-40 long balls? It's not just a possibility; it's a highly probable outcome.
Raleigh always has some of the highest strikeout rates on the team, but he's also known to make opposing pitchers pay when they make a mistake. The Big Dumper will have plenty of opportunities to show off his improved right-handed stroke and hopefully power the Mariners to the 2024 playoffs.