Seven months ago, Cal Raleigh looked untouchable at the plate. The Seattle Mariners catcher had just wrapped up one of the best offensive seasons ever produced by a catcher, crushing home runs, driving in runs, and cementing himself as one of the most dangerous power bats in baseball. Now, the numbers tell a completely different story.
Raleigh has fallen into a brutal slump that is rapidly approaching historic territory, and not the kind any player wants attached to his name.
After going 0-for-4 on Monday night, Raleigh has now gone 36 consecutive at-bats without recording a hit. His last hit came back on April 27, and since then, every trip to the plate has ended in frustration. Strikeouts, weak contact, and routine fly balls, the production has completely vanished.
The longer the streak drags on, the more one ugly MLB record starts coming into focus.
Closing In On An Infamous MLB Record
Former Baltimore Orioles slugger Chris Davis owns the major league record for consecutive hitless at-bats with 54, a stretch that became one of the most infamous slumps in modern baseball during the 2019 season. Raleigh is still well short of that mark, but with every empty plate appearance, the comparisons become harder to ignore.
What makes the collapse even more shocking is how far Raleigh has fallen statistically in such a short amount of time.
His current slash line sits at a miserable .157/.238/.320, placing him near the absolute bottom of Major League Baseball among qualified hitters. His batting average ranks as the second-worst in the league. His on-base percentage is the fifth-worst. His .559 OPS ranks 10th worst overall. For a player once viewed as a cornerstone middle-of-the-order threat, those numbers are staggering.
The strikeouts only make the situation look worse. Raleigh has already piled up 54 strikeouts this season, tied for the ninth most in baseball. Pitchers have consistently attacked him with breaking balls out of the zone, and Raleigh has struggled to make adjustments.
Mariners Still Waiting For A Turnaround
At this point, the Mariners are not just waiting for him to heat up. They are waiting for any sign of life offensively.
For a club trying to stay competitive in a tight American League race, Raleigh’s disappearance at the plate has become impossible to overlook. Seattle built much of its offensive identity around his power and run production, but instead of carrying the lineup, he has become one of its biggest question marks.
Even routine at-bats have started to feel tense. Opposing pitchers are clearly attacking him with confidence, often getting ahead early in counts before forcing him to chase pitches outside the strike zone. The frustration has been visible as the hitless streak continues to grow.
A Familiar Opponent Could Change Everything
There may, however, be an opportunity directly in front of him. Raleigh is expected to face pitcher Imai again, a matchup that could provide the reset he desperately needs. In Imai’s last outing before injury, he lasted only one-third of an inning against Seattle, surrendering three runs on three hits while issuing four walks. The Mariners saw him well during that appearance, and Raleigh will get another crack at a pitcher who previously struggled badly against Seattle’s lineup.
If there was ever a moment for Raleigh to break out of this nightmare stretch, this may be it.
Because if the slump continues much longer, the conversation is going to shift from temporary struggles to legitimate baseball infamy.
