Sep 1, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) singles against the Tampa Bay Rays in the eighth inning at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Cal Raleigh Issues Strong Message Amid Mariners Recent Struggles

Originally posted on Fastball on SI | By Owen Crisafulli | Last updated Sep 4, 2025 7:26 PM ET

The Seattle Mariners find themselves in an interesting spot as the calendar flips to September. While they hold a 1.5-game lead for the third American League wild card spot, they have been ice cold as of late, losing 14 of their past 20 games.

With the Houston Astros beginning to run away with the AL West and the Texas Rangers creeping up on them in the wild card race, things aren't going well for the Mariners. And yet, when discussing the team's recent struggles, All-Star catcher Cal Raleigh revealed how the team is not panicking, even with things going sideways for them.

"Our job is take it one day at a time, one pitch at a time, try to win the little battles and not worry about trying to win 23 in a row," Raleigh said on "The Honey Bucket Cal Raleigh Show." "Trust the process and get back to what we do well, and the rest will take care of itself. It's just one pitch at a time, and you gotta slow down a little bit."

Cal Raleigh, Mariners need to get back on track before it's too late

The Mariners have had several chances to solidify their playoff position, while also potentially catching the Astros, over the past couple of weeks. Their struggles have made that impossible, though, and now they are just clinging on for dear life in the wild card race.

To this point, Raleigh has done just about everything in his power to keep Seattle afloat. In 137 games, Raleigh has smacked a league-leading 51 home runs, while also driving in 109 runs. That helped him earn the first All-Star selection of his career, and he is widely believed to be the frontrunner in the AL MVP race.

At the end of the day, though, one guy can't win games for the Mariners; it has to be a team effort. While some players have been playing well, others have been struggling, and it's resulted in Seattle being a mess at the worst possible time. They will look to get back on track when they open a new three-game series against the Atlanta Braves on Friday.

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This article first appeared on Fastball on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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