Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh accepted blame for the team’s offensive struggles after a 4-1 loss to the New York Yankees on Tuesday, describing his own performance as awful and urging a shift toward a team-oriented approach at the plate.
The Seattle Mariners arrived at Yankee Stadium mired in a four-game losing streak during which they were outscored 20-4 at T-Mobile Park according to MLB.com reporting. That offensive drought followed the team into the Bronx on Tuesday night. Seattle managed just three hits against New York pitching, dropping the series opener 4-1 and falling a season-worst eight games under .500 at 56-64 as detailed by MLB.com.
Cal Raleigh Accepts Blame Following Yankee Stadium Defeat
Following the final out—where he swung through three elevated 96-mph fastballs from Yankees closer David Bednar—catcher Cal Raleigh bypassed the usual postgame routine Yakimaherald. Sweating in full uniform and still wearing his game spikes, Raleigh stepped directly in front of the media backdrop before manager Dan Wilson could speak as the outlet noted.
“It’s not good. We’re not playing well. That starts with me. I’m awful. I’ve got to find a way to be better and to help bring the guys along. We just gotta play better. We’re just playing very, very, very bad baseball in every facet of the game. We gotta pick it up — from the energy standpoint to the execution to the little things in the game that help you win baseball games. We’re just not doing those things right now.”
Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners catcher
Raleigh finished the game 0-for-4 with two strikeouts Yakimaherald. He enters play carrying a .163 batting average and a .566 OPS across more than 300 plate appearances, with a strikeout rate of 31.7 percent and -0.3 bWAR according to FanSided. Those numbers represent a steep decline from his 2025 campaign, when he hit 60 home runs and finished second in American League MVP voting reported by MLB.com.
Diagnosing the root of the team’s offensive issues, Raleigh pointed to mechanical flaws and an overreliance on power hitting noted MLB.com. Seattle relies heavily on the long ball; the team holds a 48-29 record in games where they hit a home run, compared to an 8-34 record when they fail to do so Yakimaherald.
“The approach is just not there to me. It’s just off-balance swings — late to the heater, early on the off-speed. I’m not pointing fingers. I’m ultimately the worst of the group right now, and I understand that.”
Raleigh also addressed whether participation in the World Baseball Classic contributed to his prolonged struggles reported FanSided. Speaking with USA Today, Raleigh acknowledged that the tournament made it harder to secure at-bats and may have disrupted his timing, but he declined to use it as a definitive excuse as FanSided outlined.
“At the end of the day, was it harder to get at-bats? Yes, did it maybe throw my timing off a little? Maybe. But I’m not here to speculate and make excuses.”
Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners catcher
Manager Dan Wilson and the Seventh-Inning Collapse at Yankee Stadium
The offensive struggles overshadowed a strong start from Bryan Woo, who tossed five scoreless innings according to MLB.com. José A. Ferrer added a scoreless sixth before the Mariners bullpen surrendered the lead in the seventh noted MLB.com.
Reliever Michael Rucker loaded the bases before Ryan McMahon singled to left field to drive in two runs, and Austin Wells and Trent Grisham followed with run-scoring hits to cap a four-run frame reported MLB.com. Mariners manager Dan Wilson defended the decision to use Rucker against the left-handed heavy portion of the New York lineup as MLB.com reported.
“We like the way Ruck matched up with those lefties. It just didn’t get to where we wanted to get to. We weren’t able to get through the inning and keep the game where it was. Those are the tough decisions you have to make. We decided to go with Ruck tonight.”
Dan Wilson, Seattle Mariners manager
With the loss, the Mariners continue their three-game series against the Yankees at Yankee Stadium while searching for offensive consistency according to MLB.com.
