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After Cal Raleigh walked, struck out and flied out in his first three plate appearances Tuesday, his hitless streak extended to 38 consecutive at-bats.
The Seattle Mariners’ catcher, who was runner-up to Aaron Judge in American League MVP voting last year after hitting 60 home runs, had Major League Baseball’s longest single-season hitless streak since Craig Counsell went 0-for-45 in 2011.
But in the top of the seventh, Raleigh finally broke out of his slump and singled to center field. He stayed hot in the ninth, swinging to left.
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Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh hits a single 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 famously wore a gold string, at the behest of Jason Giambi, to break out of an 0-for-32 slump — he homered with it on.
Raleigh didn’t quite achieve that goal, but he had an unorthodox way to help him break out of the recession.
“Logan (Gilbert) gave me some great advice on washing the bad mojo or juju off the baseball gods,” Raleigh said.
How exactly did he do it? Well, pitcher Bryan Woo was the one who originally 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)
METS GIVE UNCLAIMED ASSIST FROM UMPI COLLISION AS TIGERS BASE RUNNER IS KNOCKED OUT AT HOME BOARD AT KEY MOMENT
“So yeah, it worked. He was right, so I had to give him credit where credit is due,” Raleigh added.
“We were all screaming for him and it was a big relief for sure and I know it felt good for Cal,” manager Dan Wilson said.
Getting out of the recession didn’t come without some pain, however, as Raleigh naturally made a mistake 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 he is now 2 for his last 2 and we all know what he can do when he gets hot.
