Gilbert and Raleigh: From 2018 M’s draft picks to opening day battery

While their Seattle Mariners teammates take their turns running down the magenta carpet during player introductions Thursday night, Logan Gilbert and Cal Raleigh will be in the bullpen together getting ready for the game.

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It will be the 82nd time the Mariners’ first pick in the 2018 MLB Draft will throw to their third-round pick from that same year, and this one is special with Gilbert and Raleigh the team’s opening day battery.

Sometimes best laid plans do come to fruition.

“I think that was kind of the goal for us and the organization in 2018 when we got drafted, and through the full rebuild and all that stuff,” Gilbert said. “We’ve come a long way. I really appreciate how far we’ve come.”

“It is crazy to see how far we have both come,” Raleigh mused. “How much we have had to work together. It’s not always been rainbows and sunshine. We had it out a little bit in High-A.”

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In 2019, it was with the High-A Modesto Nuts where the journey together for the two began. When Gilbert arrived, Raleigh was already in place as the catcher running the pitching staff. The two did indeed, as Raleigh put it, “butt heads” when their plans did not align.

Modesto broadcaster Keaton Gillogly shared that year on the Sunday Mariners Magazine how the conflict was resolved, with Gilbert and Raleigh sitting down for what was dubbed “The Truth Meeting” – an hour and a half plus of brutal honesty that opened the lines of communication and proved to be an instrumental moment in Raleigh’s development of leadership. It also marked the beginning of the relationship we see today.

“He’s one of my best friends,” Raleigh said. “Just a guy that I do care to talk to about important things with because I care about his opinion. He’s a good person.”

“I really appreciate how close we’ve gotten,” Gilbert said. “We’re friends. We were roommates for a while. I think it’s awesome we get to share that moment on opening day together. I know how much work he puts in, what he means to the organization, the city – I mean, everybody. It’s awesome just to see him turning into a star in the game.”

The admiration is mutual between Gilbert, who was a first-time All-Star in 2024, and Raleigh, who won the Platinum Glove last year as the American League’s best defender regardless of position.

“I love that he is having that much success,” Raleigh said. “And I want to continue to have that success as well. And I want to continue to drive that and I love that we are both slowly becoming leaders and guys on this team that people can hopefully look to and take advice from. It’s a good feeling. You want to be the guys that set the example.”

With his new contract extension, Raleigh will be that guy for the next six years. On opening day and beyond, there is no catcher that Gilbert would rather throw to.

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“I’m so used to him. I hope we play together my whole career because he just knows me so well, helps me out,” Gilbert said. “We keep each other accountable and all that kind of stuff. We’ve been at it for a long time, and hopefully we both figure out a way to stay together the rest of our careers. We’ll see.”

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