World Baseball Classic Hangover? Cal Raleigh and the Mariners Are Still Shaking It Off
Here's the question nobody wants to ask but everybody in the T-Mobile Park clubhouse is thinking: did representing your country in the World Baseball Classic actually help you get ready for the grind of a 162-game season, or did it just eat into your prep time?
According to the guys who actually went down to play in March, the answer is complicated. Sure, they all agree it was worth it. Getting to wear your country's colors, compete at that level, represent Seattle on the world stage? That's a once-in-a-lifetime deal that most players wouldn't trade for anything. But when you look at how Cal Raleigh and the other Mariners who made the trip are performing right now in early April, the evidence is a little murky.
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The consensus in the clubhouse is real but unspoken: participating in the World Baseball Classic was a worthwhile experience for the chance to represent their respective countries. The players who went aren't complaining about it. They mean that. But the brutal truth? It might not have done them any favors heading into the regular season grind.
Raleigh struck out swinging to end the eighth inning on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, a reminder that even our star catcher is still finding his rhythm after the tournament. That's just one at-bat, sure, but it's part of a larger pattern emerging early in the season.
Finding Your Form in April
The short answer to whether the World Baseball Classic helped prep these guys for the regular season? Maybe not. Sometimes the best way to get ready for baseball is to just play baseball without the added travel, the intensity of international play, and the mental switch required to shift gears from representing your country to grinding through a 162-game schedule.
The Mariners dropped their game to the Yankees 5-3, and while one loss doesn't define anything, it's a reminder that these early games matter. Every win counts. As we head deeper into April, watch how Raleigh and the other Classic participants shake off that hangover.
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