Raleigh Rests, Mariners Hope for Strong Season

0:00On March 31st, Mariners kick off their series against the Yankees tonight at T-Mobile Park, but star-catcher Cal Raleigh sits out the opener. The guy who smashed 60 home runs last season, most ever by a catcher, is getting a breather after a freezing start. Ironically, a big ad with him and Aaron Judge popped up on the video board, pushing tickets. Raleigh's gone just two for 15, with 10 strikeouts in the first three games against the Guardians. Manager Dan Wilson cited his shorter spring training and wants to ease his workload early. Veteran Mitch Garver steps in behind the plate, batting sixth in his season debut. Judge, whose second in the Yankees lineup, raved about Raleigh's work ethic from their world baseball classic days together. He called it greatness, that leaves a trail and predicts another big year. Even Guardian Skipper Steven Vote, a former catcher, dubs him the best two-way player at the position, not just the slugger. Expectations are sky high after Raleigh's 30-plus homers the last three seasons, but Vote says matching 60 again is unrealistic. Last year,

1:04he didn't fully heat up until mid-April and played a career high 159 games without fading. Wilson's playing at smart this time, resting Raleigh proactively since he hates coming out. The Mariners hope this keeps their all-star fresh for a strong 2026 run. Teen Coverage, powered by AI. This is Seattle Mariners News Today.