Mariners try Cal Raleigh in a new spot in the lineup

The Seattle Mariners took care of the series win in San Diego by taking the first two games of the three-game series, and slugging catcher Cal Raleigh was right in the middle of both wins.

So for Sunday’s finale, manager Dan Wilson’s lineup reflected his switch-hitting star’s recent play.

How Mariners RHP George Kirby fared in third rehab start

Raleigh was penciled in as the designated hitter and No. 2 in the batting order for the 1:10 p.m. contest. It’s the first time this season Raleigh has hit that high in the lineup.

Serving as Seattle’s cleanup hitter on both Friday and Saturday, Raleigh delivered a big blast in each game. On Friday, Raleigh hit his 14th home run of the season in the sixth inning, giving the M’s some extra cushion in a 5-1 victory. And on Saturday, he jumped on the first pitch from left-handed Padres reliever Adrián Morejón to lead off the seventh inning with a tiebreaking solo homer, helping lift Seattle to a 4-1 win.

it's raining baseballs in san diego pic.twitter.com/aUv1K0qk2h

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) May 18, 2025

Now with 15 home runs, Raleigh entered Sunday tied for second in the big leagues behind only Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani (16). The two other hitters Raleigh is even with on the leaderboard are two of the best sluggers in the game, the Yankees’ Aaron Judge and Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber.

Raleigh appears primed to earn his first All-Star honors this season. In 44 games, he has a .253/.379/.589 slash line for a .968 OPS that is tied with Schwarber for fifth in MLB. The Dodgers’ Will Smith is the next best among catchers in OPS at .924, but he has just three homers. Raleigh is making a great case to be considered the best catcher in the game offensively, and this is in a year after he won the Platinum Glove as the American League’s best defensive player regardless of position.

Raleigh has hit second in the Mariners’ batting order eight times before, all of which came last season. His best numbers of any spot in the order actually come as the No. 2 hitter, albeit in a small sample (12 for 37 for a .324 average).

Here’s Sunday’s full Mariners lineup:

Wrapping up the first leg of the #VedderCup with some day baseball 😎 pic.twitter.com/bBod2dkpzq

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) May 18, 2025

The M’s are going up against Padres right-hander Michael King, who is off to a strong start (2.32 ERA in nine starts) a season after posting a sub-3.00 ERA.

Here’s the full San Diego lineup for Sunday against the Mariners’ own standout starting pitcher, Bryan Woo:

Sunday squad. pic.twitter.com/D36wDDnbpY

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) May 18, 2025

Mariners radio coverage can be heard on Seattle Sports with the pregame show starting at noon.

More on the Seattle Mariners

• M’s prospect Cole Young blasts 458-foot HR, nearly hits for cycle
• How concerning are Mariners’ pitching injuries? Expert weighs in
• Cal Raleigh shares the impact made by M’s hitting coaches
• Mariners pitcher’s ERA lowered by six runs on off day
• Why Seattle Mariners are a ‘more compelling’ team this season

Related

Mariners sign former top prospect to minors dealRecap: Mariners beat Red Sox 8-3 to take seriesRandy Arozarena has another big game in Mariners’ win over Red SoxAndrés Muñoz’s changeup has been untouchableMariners Lineup: Montes a bench bat vs LHP in Red Sox finaleThere was more to Lazaro Montes’ big debut than his HR