Mariners Finally Adjust Cal Raleigh’s Lineup Spot As Slump Reaches Frustrating Point

A small lineup tweak says plenty about a frustrating Mariners problem.

May 6, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) warms up before the game against the Atlanta Braves at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

The Mariners did not make a dramatic lineup change Sunday. They made a noticeable one. For their May 10 matinee against the Chicago White Sox, Cal Raleigh was dropped to fourth in the order while Julio Rodríguez moved up to the No. 2 spot. That’s not a benching, and it’s not a grand statement about Raleigh’s place in the offense. He’s still hitting in the middle of the lineup. And he’s still one of the most important players on this roster.

But it is a small admission that Seattle could not keep treating this slump like it doesn’t exist.

Raleigh has been stuck in a brutal stretch, going 0-for-29 over his last seven games with 13 strikeouts.  The season-long numbers are not much easier to soften. Raleigh is hitting .164/.244/.336 with a .580 OPS through 37 games, along with seven home runs, 18 RBI, 16 walks and 51 strikeouts in 146 at-bats. Among qualified American League hitters, that .580 OPS sits near the bottom of the pack. His 31.1 percent strikeout rate and 28.9 percent hard-hit rate are both sitting in ugly territory, too.

Here’s how we line up in the rubber match. #TridentsUp pic.twitter.com/1c4cd9B7kP

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) May 10, 2026

Mariners’ Cal Raleigh Adjustment Gives Seattle’s Lineup A Needed Reset

That last part matters because this isn’t just about bad luck. Raleigh has always been a hitter who comes with swing-and-miss. That’s part of the deal. The Mariners live with the strikeouts because the payoff usually comes with game-changing power and switch-hitting balance. When the ball is jumping off his bat, the strikeouts are easier to accept.

Right now, the damage hasn’t been loud enough to offset the empty at-bats. There is also a positive layer here, even if it’s buried under the frustration. The Mariners can make this kind of adjustment because they have other options. Julio moving into the two-hole gives Seattle a different kind of pressure near the top. Josh Naylor has been trusted in a premium run-producing spot. The lineup doesn’t have to keep asking Raleigh to carry the same exact burden every night while he is fighting through one of the roughest stretches of his season.

That is what deeper lineups are supposed to allow. The Mariners still need Raleigh to be Raleigh. There’s no version of this team reaching its best form without him becoming a real threat again. His ability to change an inning matters too much.

But for now, Seattle made the obvious adjustment. Raleigh’s slump had become too loud to ignore, and the lineup finally reflects it.