3 reasons why Cal Raleigh's struggles should set off alarm bells for Mariners

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3 reasons why Cal Raleigh's struggles should set off alarm bells for Mariners originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Seattle Mariners are off to a bit of a concerning start to the 2026 MLB season. While they swept the four-game series against the Houston Astros, Seattle's still at an 8-13 record to begin the season.

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In what was supposed to be a contending season, this start is a very worrying one. But, one of the biggest concerns for Seattle in the early goings of the season revolves around Cal Raleigh, their Gold Glove and 60-homer catcher.

As Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter pointed out, while calling Raleigh one of MLB's most overhyped players this season, three key statistics should be setting off alarm bells in Seattle with Raleigh's game.

3 key stats that are red flags for Cal Raleigh this season

"However, his 29 strikeouts and 33.3 percent strikeout rate this season have made it a legitimate concern," Reuter writes. "Add to that a plummeting hard-hit rate (49.6 to 26.1 percent) and average exit velocity (91.3 to 83.3 mph), and alarm bells are ringing in Seattle."

The three key statistics that are major red flags for Raleigh are his strikeout total/rate, the hard-hit rate, and the average exit velocity when he does make contact.

Compared to last season, Raleigh is swinging and missing at more pitches than normal, not hitting the ball hard, even remotely as likely as he did a year ago, and even when he does, the overall velocity of said contact is lower.

Raleigh is hitting .163 to begin the season with a .528 OPS and a 56 OPS+. He's striking out more often than he has in any season since his 2021 rookie year, and is hitting the ball less often than he's ever done in his career.

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That sub 30 percent hard-hit rate is a massive issue, as he's not fallen below even 40 percent for the last four seasons. He's at a 26.9 percent through 21 games this season.

Raleigh's struggles are a big reason for the Mariners lackluster season so far. Between his strikeout woes, the lack of balls he is hitting hard, and the lower exit velocities, there is a lot of concern with Raleigh's game so far this season.

He could still turn things around, as this could be an early-season blip on the radar. But, considering the struggles in the World Baseball Classic and now in the regular season, it's hard not to be concerned about Raleigh this year so far.

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