The Seattle Mariners are coming off a series loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, dropping two of three games.
However, they’ll remain in the NL Central as they’re set to take on the Chicago Cubs beginning Friday night at home in Seattle.
Ahead of the matchup, Mariners manager Dan Wilson made some notable changes to his lineup, including one involving catcher Cal Raleigh, who did not start Thursday’s series finale against Milwaukee.
Mariners Announce Raleigh Change
It’s been a down year for Raleigh, but outside of some scheduled off days, Wilson has continued to utilize him after his historic 2025 season.
Raleigh is back in the starting lineup Friday night, and while he continues to drop significantly in the order, he’ll get the start behind the plate and bat seventh.
Via Underdog MLB: Mariners 8/21 B. Donovan 3B R. Arozarena LF D. Canzone RF J. Rodríguez CF J. Naylor 1B T. Ward DH C. Raleigh C C. Young 2B B. Rodden SS E. Hancock SP.”
Mariners 8/21
B. Donovan 3B
R. Arozarena LF
D. Canzone RF
J. Rodríguez CF
J. Naylor 1B
T. Ward DH
C. Raleigh C
C. Young 2B
B. Rodden SSE. Hancock SP
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) August 21, 2026
Raleigh’s 2026 Season
As mentioned, it’s been a down year for Raleigh after he led MLB in home runs (60) and RBIs (125) last season, which helped him finish second in American League MVP voting behind New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge.
That said, just how drastic Raleigh’s drop-off has been is quite astonishing.
He’s appeared in 94 games this year and, across 334 at-bats, is batting just .156 compared to .247 last year. His slugging percentage sits at .296, a significant drop from the .589 mark he posted last season.
Outside of his hitting marks, Raleigh has recorded just 27 runs, 52 hits, 13 home runs, and 44 RBIs.
Seattle enters Friday night with a 60-68 overall record after the Mariners were projected to be one of the best teams in the AL during the preseason.
Seattle Mariners Announce Cal Raleigh Decision Before Cubs Series