The Seattle Mariners have a Cal Raleigh problem, and it is getting harder to dismiss as a temporary slump.
Raleigh went hitless again Monday in Seattle’s 3-1 win over the Houston Astros, stretching his skid to 0-for-34. According to Mike Axisa of CBS Sports, that is the longest hitless streak in MLB this season and the longest by any player in the Live Ball Era after a 40-homer campaign.
That makes this more than a cold stretch.
It makes it one of the strangest offensive collapses in baseball.
Cal Raleigh’s Slump Has Become a Mariners Issue
GettyCal Raleigh #29 of the Seattle Mariners reacts at bat during the sixth inning against the Atlanta Braves at T-Mobile Park on May 06, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
The Mariners can survive a few rough weeks from almost anyone else. They cannot reach their ceiling if Raleigh looks this lost.
Seattle expected regression after Raleigh’s massive 60-homer season. That type of power explosion almost never repeats. A drop back into the 30-homer range would have still made him one of the most valuable catchers in baseball.
Instead, Raleigh has fallen much further.
Axisa noted that Raleigh entered the week hitting .157/.238/.320 with a .559 OPS through 42 team games. That ranked near the bottom among qualified hitters. The bigger problem is not just the lack of hits. It is how bad the at-bats have looked underneath the surface.
Raleigh has struck out 16 times during the streak. He is chasing more pitches outside the zone. He is making less contact on strikes. When he does connect, the ball is not jumping off his bat.
That combination creates a nightmare for Seattle.
A power hitter can live with strikeouts when the damage comes with them. Right now, Raleigh is giving the Mariners the swing-and-miss without the punishment.
Mike Axisa Points to a Bigger Concern
GettyCal Raleigh #29 of the Seattle Mariners reacts against the Atlanta Braves at T-Mobile Park on May 06, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Axisa’s analysis for CBS Sports added an important layer to the panic. This does not appear to be only a mental slump.
Raleigh’s timing looks off.
Axisa pointed to a subtle delay in Raleigh’s leg kick compared to last season. That may sound small, but hitters operate on tiny margins. A slightly late lower half can make a hitter late everywhere else.
The numbers against velocity support that concern.
Raleigh hit .248 with a .584 slugging percentage against fastballs of 95 mph or harder last season. This year, he is hitting just .069 against that same pitch group. That is not ordinary regression. That is a hitter losing the battle before his swing fully starts.
Seattle still sits close enough in the AL West race to believe this season can turn. The roster was built with expectations far beyond simply hanging around. But that version of the Mariners requires Raleigh to drive the offense, protect the middle of the order and force pitchers to fear one swing.
Right now, pitchers have no reason to fear him.
There is still a reason for patience. Before this 0-for-34 stretch, Raleigh went 10-for-29 with five home runs during a seven-game surge. That matters because it shows the old version has not completely disappeared.
But the Mariners need more than hope now.
They need Raleigh to find his timing before this slump starts reshaping the entire conversation around Seattle’s offense. If he fixes it soon, this becomes an ugly footnote. If he does not, the Mariners may have to confront a much bigger question about whether their lineup is strong enough to survive without its most important slugger carrying it.
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