Seattle Mariners Announce Cal Raleigh Change Before Cubs Series Finale

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - AUGUST 22: Cal Raleigh #29 of the Seattle Mariners reacts after hitting a single during the second inning against the Chicago Cubs at T-Mobile Park on August 22, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Olivia Vanni/Getty Images) Getty

The Seattle Mariners are going for a sweep on Sunday after winning each of the first two games of their series against the Chicago Cubs in walk-off fashion.

On Friday night, Leo Rivas delivered a walk-off single in extra innings. Then, on Saturday, Randy Arozarena hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth while the Mariners trailed by one to give Seattle another dramatic victory.

Ahead of Sunday’s finale, Mariners manager Dan Wilson made some notable changes to his lineup as Seattle looks to keep its momentum going.

Mariners Announce Cal Raleigh Change

One of those changes involves catcher Cal Raleigh, who will move up from the No. 6 spot he occupied on Saturday into the cleanup role.

Raleigh began the year batting in the top four, but his struggles at the plate have gradually pushed him down the order.

Josh Naylor hit cleanup on Saturday but will move down to the No. 5 spot Sunday, while the top three spots in the order will remain unchanged.

Here’s the full Mariners lineup:

Via Underdog MLB: “Mariners 8/23 R. Arozarena LF D. Canzone DH J. Rodríguez CF C. Raleigh C J. Naylor 1B W. Wilson 3B C. Young 2B V. Robles RF L. Rivas SS B. Miller SP.”

Mariners 8/23

R. Arozarena LF
D. Canzone DH
J. Rodríguez CF
C. Raleigh C
J. Naylor 1B
W. Wilson 3B
C. Young 2B
V. Robles RF
L. Rivas SS

B. Miller SP

— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) August 23, 2026

Raleigh’s 2026 Season

It’s been one of the more astonishing drop-offs for a player in recent memory after what Raleigh accomplished in 2025.

Last season, he led MLB with 60 home runs and 125 RBIs, finishing second in the American League MVP race behind New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge.

However, this year has been a completely different story. Across 96 games and 341 at-bats, Raleigh is batting .158 with 54 hits, 14 home runs and 47 RBIs. He’s also slugging .305 with a .580 OPS.

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