From being on the surprising 90-win team that just missed the playoffs in 2021, to breaking the playoff drought in 2022, to going on the deepest playoff run in franchise history last year, Cal Raleigh has experienced all of the Seattle Mariners’ climb from playoff hopeful to World Series contender.

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Raleigh, like others around the organization, has embraced the added expectations that have come with the team’s recent success.

His ultimate goal, of course, is bringing the first World Series trophy to Seattle. And this is a season where many around baseball believe the M’s are capable of going the distance.

So what stands out about this year’s Mariners team that’s different from years past? Raleigh answered that question during the 2026 season’s first edition of The Cal Raleigh Show during Seattle Sports M’s insider Shannon Drayer.

“Just seeing how deep we are. I think we’re a super deep team top to bottom, even in the bullpen. It feels like everything’s just longer, just seems like we have a longer, deeper team,” Raleigh said.

Raleigh isn’t alone in calling this the deepest Mariners squad in years, but the team didn’t get off to a start that matched its sky-high expectations during its seven-game, season-opening homestand that ended with a 3-4 record against American League playoff contenders New York and Cleveland.

“Obviously it’s early in the year and your team’s never defined in the first week or so of this season,” Raleigh said. “So we have a lot of work to do. There’s a lot more behind the scenes that’s going to go on, and guys are going to get in their grooves and find their niche and how they’re gonna help this team.”

While it wasn’t quite the opening homestand the Mariners were hoping for, some of the depth Raleigh referred to was on display. As Raleigh, Julio Rodríguez and Josh Naylor combined to go 7 of 78 at the plate over the seven games, Luke Raley, Dominic Canzone and Cole Young played a major role in carrying Seattle’s offense from the bottom of the order. The club also got a gem from right-hander Emerson Hancock in his season debut. Filling in for the injured Bryce Miller, Hancock spun six no-hit innings against Cleveland.

“You’re seeing it right now (with the) contributions from the bottom of the order all the way to even the guys at the top who were maybe not contributing the way they usually are used to,” Raleigh said. “But that’s kind of what this whole thing is about, creating a team that can do it in different ways, that can lengthen the game and give you problems from top to bottom.”

Hear the full conversation with Cal Raleigh at this link or in the audio player in this story. Catch The Cal Raleigh Show at 5 p.m. on Thursday’s during Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob. 

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