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After Cal Raleigh walked, struck out and popped out in his first three plate appearances Tuesday, his hitless streak extended to 38 consecutive at-bats.
The Seattle Mariners catcher, who finished second to Aaron Judge in American League MVP voting last year after hitting 60 home runs, had the longest hitless streak in a major league season since Craig Counsell went 0-for-45 in 2011.
But in the top of the seventh, Raleigh finally snapped out of his slump and singled to center field. He stayed hot in the ninth, with a single to left field.
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Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh singles during the seventh inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas, on May 12, 2026. (Troy Taormina/Imagn Images)
Derek Jeter once wore a gold thong, at Jason Giambi’s urging, to break out of an 0-for-32 slump: He hit a home run while wearing it.
Raleigh didn’t reach that mark, but he had an unorthodox way of helping him out of depression.
“Logan (Gilbert) gave me some good advice to get rid of the bad charm or juju of the baseball gods,” Raleigh said.
How exactly did he do that? Well, pitcher Bryan Woo was the one who initially told reporters that Raleigh showered in full uniform Monday night.
Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh runs to first base on a single during the seventh inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas, on May 12, 2026. (Troy Taormina/Imagn Images)
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“So yeah, it worked. He was right, so I have to give him credit where it’s due,” Raleigh added.
“We were all screaming for him and it was definitely a big relief and I know it felt good for Cal,” manager Dan Wilson said.
Getting out of the slump wasn’t without some pain, however, as Raleigh naturally took a bad hit near his manhood.
Raleigh led the American League with a Seattle-record 60 home runs and 125 RBIs last season. But he’s hitting just .166 with seven home runs and 18 RBIs in 40 games this year.
Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners bats in the second inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas, on May 11, 2026. (Tim Warner/Getty Images)
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But now he has 2 in his last 2, and we all know what he can do when he gets hot.
