"Big Fish" Strikes! Raleigh Breaks Slump with Walk-Off Hit to Beat New York Yankees

The Seattle Mariners' versatile catcher, who had a slow start to the regular season, was not in the starting lineup against the New York Yankees, but ultimately became the hero of this 2-1 walk-off victory.

Cal Raleigh hit a line-drive single down the first-base line with one out, the ball rolling past the glove of diving first baseman Ben Rice, allowing Leo Rivas to score easily. Rivas had led off with a single and then advanced from first to third on Brendan Donovan's single.

It is too early to say this will be a turning point for Raleigh's 2026 season. However, considering the AL MVP runner-up has endured a bumpy month—from limited playing time in the Classic to a delayed spring training schedule before Opening Day—this walk-off hit might steer him toward a better direction.

"It will get better," Raleigh said. "I know many guys in our locker room and many players across the league are going through the same thing. Everyone is searching for their timing at the plate. It's more scrutinized now than mid-season."

Raleigh's breakthrough came somewhat late. He started the season with only 2 hits in 16 at-bats, striking out 11 times, most recently in the seventh inning when he pinch-hit for Dominic Canzone at the designated hitter spot. Early in the season, Raleigh struck out in his first eight plate appearances, tying the longest such streak for a non-pitcher since the expansion era began in 1961; his 10 strikeouts over the first four games also set a Mariners franchise record.

Whether it's timing or daily rhythm, Raleigh has been searching for his feel since returning from the Classic on March 19. He played only three games for Team USA, going 0-for-9 with six strikeouts, and during the Classic, with multiple teams sharing facilities, he couldn't access batting cages freely. Back in Arizona, he raced to accumulate plate appearances, adding live batting practice before Cactus League games began and taking up to eight plate appearances per game in auxiliary fields after returning.

"I don't feel bad in the batter's box," Raleigh said. "I think I've faced some tough pitches, but I also need to execute a bit better."

However, these weren't the primary reasons Mariners manager Dan Wilson decided to rest Raleigh. It was more about workload management. The Mariners actually managed Raleigh's workload more cautiously last year than it appeared, despite him logging 1072 innings as catcher. They anticipated fatigue at some point and prepared accordingly, but that moment never arrived. In fact, beyond his 60 home runs, Raleigh played his best baseball in the postseason.

Last year, Raleigh was scheduled for his first full rest day on May 6 in Sacramento, but he pinch-hit and delivered a game-winning single. He ultimately didn't get a true day off until June 8 in Anaheim.

When Raleigh entered the game today, he was the Mariners' third designated hitter of the night, following Rob Refsnyder (who started against tough lefty Ryan Weathers) and Canzone. This also explains why Raleigh won't get as many DH appearances this year as last year—during his historic season, he served as DH 38 times to keep his bat in the lineup, alongside 121 starts as catcher, missing only three of the team's 174 total games (including playoffs).

"Our lineup depth really helps," Wilson said. "It's also good not to have to rely on him as the DH all the time. So giving him a rest today was reasonable."

For these reasons, Raleigh had lobbied the Mariners management to re-sign Mitch Garver as his backup—he deeply trusts this veteran to stabilize things when he's not catching. Because in the 2026 season, when he rests, it will be more complete than last year. Except for moments like today when he's needed to step up in crucial situations.