AquaSox feed on M’s Cal Raleigh appearance

Published 7:04 am Monday, June 8, 2026

EVERETT — When Cal Raleigh walked off the baseball field at Everett Memorial Stadium in 2018, many thought he had a chance to play Major League Baseball someday.

He returned to the Everett AquaSox on Sunday to a sold-out crowd who offered a hero’s welcome to the Seattle Mariners’ catcher who hit 60 home runs last season. Raleigh, the M’s star catcher, served as the designated hitter for three at-bats as he works his way back from a strained oblique, going 1-for-3 with a deep flyout that was caught in front of the homer porch in right field in an eventual 3-2 Northwest League win by the Eugene Emeralds (39-18).

“The guys here are great,” Raleigh said. “It was fun to be back here and see all the good support here.”

The AquaSox (29-28) became a hot ticket for Sunday’s game when it was announced midweek that Raleigh would be starting a rehab stint in High-A Everett as he works his way back to the Mariners lineup. It was also a chance to see infielder Will Wilson, who began a rehab assignment on Friday after five games earlier in the year with the M’s.

Sunday’s game sold out in just over an hour when word got out about Raleigh’s appearance, and tickets on the secondary market ranged from $145 to $1,432 on Sunday morning. Out since May 13, it only took one swing for Raleigh to nearly give fans their money’s worth when he drove the first pitch he saw just shy of the right field wall.

For most at the stadium on Sunday, though, it wasn’t about individual or even team results. It was an opportunity for local fans to see a Mariners star up close. For Raleigh, it was the next step toward a return to the bigs. AquaSox players shared a dugout with someone who once spent a season in their shoes, and took the chance to learn from someone who achieved a dream they all share.

“Yeah, I think it’s good to learn from those guys,” AquaSox catcher Josh Caron said. “He’s obviously doing what we want to do one day, and yeah, here and there, if I’m seeing something that I like, I’ll ask him about it.”

Though he once caught behind the same home plate as Caron, things have changed for Raleigh since 2018, when he played 38 games for what was then the short-season AquaSox, batting .288 with 10 doubles, eight homers and 29 RBI that season. Since then, he’s been an MLB All-Star, Home Run Derby Champion, finished second in the AL MVP voting and signed a $105 million contract.

Despite all that, he’s still just a ballplayer.

“Cal is a phenomenal teammate, and he loves to be around with the boys, so nothing really changed,” said AquaSox manager Ryan Scott, whose team won four games in a six-game set against the first-place Emeralds despite Sunday’s loss. “He’s just kind of one of the guys in the dugout, just he’s out here to play and compete and try to win a baseball game, just like we are.

“So, it’s great to have him around. He was really good for the guys. He loves to be around and have these conversations. So phenomenal having Cal — Will Wilson, same thing.”

Curtis Washington Jr., who drove in Everett’s first run with a seventh-inning double, enjoyed every moment of the Cal Raleigh experience throughout the day. He saw Raleigh’s batting-practice session — a sight to behold — and was teamed with Raleigh during early field work.

“It was pretty sick to see him swinging, get some ABs,” Washington said. “He almost went yard first at bat, so that was pretty sick. But yeah, always seeing big leaguers, hanging around them, picking their brain, seeing what they going through through the minor leagues or what they’re doing at the big leagues — it’s always good.”

In addition to added buzz in the stands and the dugout, Raleigh added one more aspect of significance to Sunday’s experience for the AquaSox regulars. Raleigh arranged for a postgame meal that was to include some items not normally part of a minor-league spread.

He contacted the team nutritionist to make sure the Frogs enjoyed some specialty items. Though minor league nutrition has mostly advanced beyond the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that once fed aspiring Major Leaguers, the Aquasox knew they were in for a treat on Raleigh’s dime.

“I think we got some ribs, like prime rib or something like that,” said Washington, with a big smile as he headed toward the clubhouse after the game. “Should be eating good.”

Raleigh said he was happy to do something for the guys. His main goal, though, is to get back to eating good at the plate inside T-Mobile Park. He appeared to be battling some pain early in the season before being placed on the Injured List in mid-May while batting .161 with a .560 OPS.

The main thing Raleigh has learned during his first IL stint in his six seasons in The Show is patience.

“I think ultimately, just like kind of accepting it, understanding that it’s going to take time, and there’s nothing you can do about it,” said Raleigh, who will join the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers on Tuesday while the AquaSox begin a series at Vancouver. “So, trying to make the best of it, and trying to have a good outlook on it, rather than be upset or be mad about it.”

The experience has been a trying one at times.

“Just trying to be understanding, and try to use time to my advantage,” Raleigh said, “and try to get better at different areas of the game, and just trying to see what I can do when I get back to help the team.”