Rost: Cal Raleigh doesn’t need to be the Mariners’ savior

Cal Raleigh isn’t coming here to save the Seattle Mariners’ season.

I know that’s a disappointing way to start this, but what I mean is that the expectations for Raleigh’s return need to take into account the fickleness of oblique injuries and the reality of a performance that won’t include 60 home runs.

Cal Raleigh returning to Mariners on Tuesday, per report

And maybe that’s a good thing. Not only because the weight of those expectations must feel overwhelming, but because focusing on the return of a single player keeps us from telling the complete story of the Mariners’ season so far – a season that, despite frustrations, still feels likely to end with this team playing in October.

Here’s the good news: the Mariners could use Raleigh’s power and his defense, and he’s still very much got it. He’s looked stellar in a quick rehab stint, with five home runs across four games with Triple-A Tacoma.

More good news, at least for Raleigh, is that he’s returning to a Mariners team that’s improved from early spring. Despite an ugly road trip, they’re still in first place and one game over .500. A big part of that step forward is the home runs. After hovering near the bottom of the league in slugging percentage, they climbed up to 14th thanks to the second-most homers in baseball over the last 30 days. They’ve also done it with the seventh-fewest strikeouts, which is a notable improvement from previous iterations of this team.

Raleigh missed the rise and fall (and eventual rise again?) of the piggyback and has yet to play a game with Colt Emerson, who’s been a revelation. The team he’s rejoining has changed a bit since he left, and it’s for the better. That’s good for Seattle and good for Raleigh, who can focus instead on simply contributing with pop and defense.

The reality of this year’s Mariners, though, is that nailing down exactly why they’ve underwhelmed, despite their sky-high expectations, is a frustrating and confusing task that leads to several answers.

One I’ve seen thrown out there is “well, they were never that great to begin with,” which I disagree with. They don’t have the talent of a team like the Dodgers or Yankees, but it doesn’t make them a plucky underdog. They’ve got several All-Stars, good pitching, a stellar debut from their top prospect, and very recent playoff experience. They’re the only team in baseball that’s been top-five in ERA and in home runs over the last month.

One part of the problem? That reliance on home runs. When it works, it’s great, but when the pop isn’t there, the offensive performance can drag. Continued development from Emerson and an eventual return of Brendan Donovan can add more contact, but the DNA of this lineup is mostly settled. So, if it’s something that frustrates you… get used to it.

It doesn’t mean it can’t work, but they’ll need…

Better defense and more disciplined base running! That’s been another part of the Mariners’ problems, and one that’s more in their control. The pitching is good enough to withstand a team that isn’t going to lead the league in hits, but that’s a tricky line to walk when defense is sluggish and runners are picked off. While we’re talking about base running: the M’s could also use more stolen bases. They were tied for third there last season and sit at 11th right now.

The Mariners don’t need a lot from a single player to fight their way to a World Series, but rather a little bit more from many.

Seattle Mariners news and more

• By keeping Jhonny Pereda, Mariners could help Rob Refsnyder
• Why Baseball America ranks Sloan as M’s top pitching prospect
• Quiet trade deadline could make sense for Seattle Mariners

Related

‘He was loved here’: M’s pitchers reflect on Luis Castillo’s impactRecap: Mariners beat Twins 7-6 for series winColt Emerson’s first career walkoff lifts Mariners over TwinsMLB Trade Deadline: Dodgers land Tarik Skubal, Rays get Freddy PeraltaWatch: Drayer breaks down Mariners’ Luis Castillo tradeMariners recall reliever ahead of series finale vs Twins