Logan Gilbert and Cal Raleigh Just Reunited and the Mariners' Opening Day Battery Is Ready to Roll
Picture this: it's 11 a.m. on a scorching Arizona morning, and instead of hiding out in the shade during spring training, Logan Gilbert and Cal Raleigh just sprinted out to the mound and behind the plate together for the first time in weeks. The Mariners' opening day duo connected in Friday's B game against the Padres at the team's Peoria complex, and honestly? This was exactly what Seattle needed to see before the season kicks off.
Why This Mattered More Than a Normal Spring Game
Here's the thing: the Mariners deliberately pulled Gilbert from the scheduled Cactus League game against the Guardians in Goodyear that evening. Why? Strategic thinking. Gilbert's next regular season start comes in six days against Cleveland, so why give them a live look at his stuff? It's smart baseball. But if Gilbert was going to pitch, Raleigh had to be there. The All-Star catcher just wrapped up two and a half weeks with the World Baseball Classic and wasn't about to miss his final tuneup with his battery mate before the games count. Even after playing the night before in Mesa, Raleigh asked to get in the lineup as the designated hitter to grab some extra at-bats. He went 1 for 5, but that wasn't the point.
Building Chemistry When It Counts Most
Gilbert threw 80 pitches over five-plus innings, working through his entire arsenal in a controlled setting. He tested out cutters, which he's been leaning on more heavily, and even some changeups just to see how they feel. The real story? Raleigh called seven or eight sinkers, a pitch he wasn't even convinced Gilbert should throw last season. The roles have flipped. "I probably threw four or five," Gilbert said. "I was the one shaking them off. The roles reversed after 10 years." Manager Dan Wilson loved it. "It was smart to get a chance to get them together today with this being the final tuneup, and just get on the same page and see what his stuff has been doing," he said. These two have history as former minor league roommates, and that connection matters when opening day is breathing down your neck.
Everything Checked Out
Gilbert methodically worked through his outing, starting with natural sequencing in the early innings to get outs, then shifting gears to test pitch combinations and emphasis areas. "Once we checked every box, I was like, 'OK, we've seen everything. Everything feels good,'" he explained. The battery is locked in. The opener is six days away.
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This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.