Latest news with #DanWilson
Fox News
2 days ago
- Sport
- Fox News
Mariner Milestone: Cal Raleigh Reaches 40th HR, Calls It 'Cool Moment'
Cal Raleigh reached another landmark in his incredible season Saturday night when he drilled his 40th home run deep into the right field bleachers at Angel Stadium. Becoming the seventh catcher in major league history to hit 40 homers has been all but inevitable for Raleigh ever since the Seattle Mariners slugger got to the All-Star break with 38 — and then won the Home Run Derby. Raleigh still felt the 40th was special, mostly because it broke a tie and propelled the Mariners to a valuable 7-2 victory in their playoff chase. "It's a cool milestone to hit, and I'm very thankful for it, and it's a cool moment for sure," Raleigh said. "I look back to 20 or 30, and that was cool, and 40 is definitely very cool as well. I'm not trying to downplay it, but I'm glad we got the win tonight, and I'll look back one day and it will be cool." Raleigh is the first player in the majors to hit 40 this season, doing it before the calendar even turns to August. He crushed a 2-0 fastball from struggling Angels reliever Jose Fermin, driving it 416 feet with a 113.5-mph exit velocity. The shot put the Mariners up 3-2, and they added three more runs in the inning to take control of their second win in three games in Anaheim. "I'm sure it feels great to get to 40," Seattle manager Dan Wilson said. "I'm sure he wants to get to 41 as soon as possible, because he knows it helps us win ballgames, and at this point, that's what he's looking for. Knowing Cal, he wants us to win. But a big milestone for sure. The season, the numbers that he's put up is pretty staggering. This is just another one of those notches on the belt." Although he was the Mariners' designated hitter Saturday, Raleigh joined an elite club of hitters who primarily played catcher during their 40-homer seasons. Johnny Bench and Mike Piazza did it twice, while Roy Campanella, Todd Hundley and Javy Lopez were joined in 2021 by Kansas City's Salvador Perez, who set the single-season record for catchers with 48. Perez's mark is eminently reachable for Raleigh, who would need to average just one homer a week for the rest of the regular season to top it. Raleigh is only the fifth player in Mariners history to hit 40 homers, and he joins elite Pacific Northwest company: Ken Griffey Jr., Alex Rodriguez, Nelson Cruz and Jay Buhner. "They're really good players," Raleigh said. "They're some of the best that's ever come through here, so very honored to be a part of that group. It's a cool thing. Just try to keep going and see how far we can take it." Raleigh also tied Griffey (1998) for the most homers in Seattle history through 105 games of a season while becoming only the eighth player in major league history to hit 40 in his team's first 105 games — just the second to do it in the 21st century, joining Aaron Judge (2022). Raleigh even reached his latest landmark on a day when his AL MVP candidacy indirectly got a boost: Judge, the obvious front-runner for his third award in four seasons, went on the 10-day injured list with a flexor strain in his right elbow — although the Yankees superstar's absence isn't currently expected to be lengthy. Raleigh's production has actually slowed in July. He came into Saturday night's game batting .162 with just 11 hits in 18 games this month, although six of those hits were homers. Raleigh had two hits and struck out three times Saturday night, but Wilson has seen progress in Raleigh's approach at the plate in recent days. "I think for the most part, it's an adjustment period," Wilson said. "Teams start to pitch around you a little bit, and I think you become aware of that and start making the adjustments there. But I think he's just been very consistent pretty much all this season, and I think that's what's been so great for me to see, and for all of us to benefit from. He's just been so consistent, and to do this while raising his batting average at the same time, pretty incredible."
Al Arabiya
3 days ago
- Sport
- Al Arabiya
Seattle's Cal Raleigh calls his 40th homer 'a cool milestone' during the catcher's historic season
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Cal Raleigh reached another landmark in his incredible season Saturday night when he drilled his 40th home run deep into the right field bleachers at Angel Stadium. Becoming the seventh catcher in major league history to hit 40 homers has been all but inevitable for Raleigh ever since the Seattle Mariners slugger got to the All-Star break with 38 – and then won the Home Run Derby. Raleigh still felt the 40th was special mostly because it broke a tie and propelled the Mariners to a valuable 7-2 victory in their playoff chase. 'It's a cool milestone to hit and I'm very thankful for it and it's a cool moment for sure,' Raleigh said. 'I look back to 20 or 30 and that was cool and 40 is definitely very cool as well. I'm not trying to downplay it but I'm glad we got the win tonight and I'll look back one day and it will be cool.' Raleigh is the first player in the majors to hit 40 this season doing it before the calendar even turns to August. He crushed a 2-0 fastball from struggling Angels reliever José Fermin driving it 416 feet with a 113.5-mph exit velocity. The shot put the Mariners up 3-2 and they added three more runs in the inning to take control of their second win in three games in Anaheim. 'I'm sure it feels great to get to 40,' Seattle manager Dan Wilson said. 'I'm sure he wants to get to 41 as soon as possible because he knows it helps us win ballgames and at this point that's what he's looking for. Knowing Cal he wants us to win. But a big milestone for sure. The season the numbers that he's put up is pretty staggering. This is just another one of those notches on the belt.' Although he was the Mariners designated hitter Saturday, Raleigh joined an elite club of hitters who primarily played catcher during their 40-homer seasons. Johnny Bench and Mike Piazza did it twice while Roy Campanella, Todd Hundley, and Javy Lopez were joined in 2021 by Kansas City's Salvador Perez, who set the single-season record for catchers with 48. Perez's mark is eminently reachable for Raleigh, who would need to average just one homer a week for the rest of the regular season to top it. Raleigh is only the fifth player in Mariners history to hit 40 homers and he joins elite Pacific Northwest company: Ken Griffey Jr., Alex Rodriguez, Nelson Cruz, and Jay Buhner. 'They're really good players,' Raleigh said. 'They're some of the best that's ever come through here so very honored to be a part of that group. It's a cool thing. Just try to keep going and see how far we can take it.' Raleigh also tied Griffey (1998) for the most homers in Seattle history through 105 games of a season while becoming only the eighth player in major league history to hit 40 in his team's first 105 games – just the second to do it in the 21st century joining Aaron Judge (2022). Raleigh even reached his latest landmark on a day when his AL MVP candidacy indirectly got a boost: Judge, the obvious front-runner for his third award in four seasons, went on the 10-day injured list with a flexor strain in his right elbow – although the Yankees superstar's absence isn't currently expected to be lengthy. Raleigh's production has actually slowed in July. He came into Saturday night's game batting .162 with just 11 hits in 18 games this month, although six of those hits were homers. Raleigh had two hits and struck out three times Saturday night, but Wilson has seen progress in Raleigh's approach at the plate in recent days. 'I think for the most part it's an adjustment period,' Wilson said. 'Teams start to pitch around you a little bit and I think you become aware of that and start making the adjustments there. But I think he's just been very consistent pretty much all this season and I think that's what's been so great for me to see and for all of us to benefit from. He's just been so consistent and to do this while raising his batting average at the same time pretty incredible.'
New York Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
New Mariners slugger Josh Naylor loves pressure. Can he help deliver Seattle a postseason run?
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Batting Josh Naylor in the cleanup position is no big deal. After all, as he noted when asked on Friday, 'I (did that) two days ago.' But, for the Mariners, manager Dan Wilson penciling in their newly acquired first baseman at No. 4 in the order is a signal of the expectations Naylor's presence carries. Advertisement 'The way he swings the bat, bringing the experience that he does in the middle of the lineup,' Wilson said, 'the guy knows how to hit in those situations. A guy that's going to have a great approach in those situations.' Naylor was acquired by the Mariners from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for lefty pitching prospect Brandyn Garcia and righty prospect Ashton Izzi. The Diamondbacks had been telegraphing their intentions to sell, and Naylor's strong season and expiring contract made him a prime candidate to be dealt. The lefty slugger got the call after going out to dinner in Pittsburgh on Thursday night. His relaxing off day suddenly turned into a whirlwind. He awoke at 4 a.m. on Friday for a cross-country flight back to the West Coast. The 28-year-old walked into the clubhouse around 3:30 p.m. on Friday and walked around introducing himself to teammates, while a clubhouse attendant had him try out different-sized hats. Coming into the season, offense was the biggest question mark on Seattle's roster. That, however, has been a surprising strength, led by an MVP-caliber season from catcher Cal Raleigh. The Mariners are sixth in MLB in home runs and eighth in OPS. Looking good in blue. #TridentsUp — Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) July 26, 2025 First base has been a huge weakness, though, even amid a strong offensive campaign. They DFA'd Rowdy Tellez earlier this season, mixing in Luke Raley, Donovan Solano and a few games with Dylan Moore ever since. As a team, the position has produced just a .708 OPS, well below the .807 OPS that Naylor brings. 'I'm just excited to be here,' Naylor said. 'I've heard nothing but great things about this org, about this team, about how hard they play. They're a tough group.' The narrative entering this season was a near-universal condemnation of the Mariners and their president of baseball operations, Jerry Dipoto, who made almost no external acquisitions to improve a dreadful offense from 2024. With an elite, young starting rotation, it felt like Seattle could be blowing a fruitful competitive window. Advertisement What the team has failed to do in free agency, however, it has made up for in deadline deals. Last season, they acquired Randy Arozarena, who was an All-Star this year. Two years before that, starter Luis Castillo came over from Cincinnati. Naylor will be relied on to crush right-handed pitching, which he's done this season to an .884 OPS, well above his team's average of .742. And the front office might not be done, as they've reportedly been interested in a reunion with third baseman Eugenio Suárez, also with Arizona. Naylor's power numbers have been down this season. He has just 11 home runs, compared to 31 during his All-Star season in 2024. But he has improved his on-base numbers, elevating that number up to .360, compared to .320 last year. He's gotten better at hitting four-seam fastballs, batting .328 against the pitch this year, as opposed to .256 last season. He's even stolen 11 bags. He made a point to say that he likes hitting in Seattle, which is notoriously baseball's most friendly ballpark to pitchers. But he likes the view of the batter's eye, he said, and feels comfortable playing in the Mariners' home park. 'I'm excited to win,' Naylor said. 'I really enjoy impacting players, just being myself and enjoying the day-to-day.' In a wide-open American League, the Mariners will have as good a chance as anyone to make a deep postseason run, and Naylor could be a big part of that. He's played in three postseasons and is known for hitting clutch home runs. Josh Naylor crushes a 405 foot solo homer off of Gerrit Cole and celebrated by carrying a baby around the bases. 🎥 @MLB — The Athletic (@TheAthletic) October 17, 2022 The roster around him is already good. Seattle's starting rotation has dealt with more injuries than it did last year, but Logan Gilbert and George Kirby — both of whom spent time on the IL this year — are healthy, while Bryan Woo and Castillo have been very good. The Mariners are trying to capitalize on what could be their best chance at a playoff run in 25 years. They remain locked in the second wild-card spot, with just two games separating them from being out of the postseason picture entirely. Advertisement Naylor's presence gives this team the offensive boost it didn't get in the offseason, and it could be the difference between another late-season flameout or a deep run. 'I love the word pressure, I think it's a gift. It's an opportunity,' Naylor said. 'I'm ready to have fun, I'm ready to enjoy the moments with these guys and win and go a long way.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
New Seattle slugger Josh Naylor plugged into cleanup spot behind Raleigh for debut against Angels
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Pressure is a privilege in the eyes of new Seattle Mariners slugger Josh Naylor. Naylor is looking forward to the opportunity to bat cleanup in his first game with Seattle against the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night. 'I love the word pressure,' said Naylor, a first baseman who was acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks for two pitching prospects on Thursday. 'I think it's a gift, a position God puts you in because he knows you can handle it.' The left-handed hitting Naylor likely won't win a Gold Glove at first base. But, he has always been able to handle the bat. The 28-year-old Naylor is a career .267 hitter with a .773 OPS in seven big-league seasons. He joins the Mariners after hitting .292 with an .807 OPS, 11 homers, 19 doubles, 59 RBIs, 49 strikeouts and 37 walks in 93 games with the D-Backs this season. Naylor, who played in 19 playoff games with the Cleveland Guardians, is also a career .294 hitter with an .846 OPS with runners in scoring position. He entered Friday with a .298 average (28 for 94) and .810 OPS in those situations this season. That track record earned Naylor a prime position in Seattle's lineup behind No. 3 hitter Cal Raleigh, who entered Friday as the MLB leader with 39 homers and tied for second 84 RBIs. Seattle's No. 5 hitter is Randy Arozarena, who entered Friday with 19 homers and 51 RBIs. 'I think he's a good fit (in the cleanup spot) because of the way he swings the bat,' Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. 'He's a guy who is going to have a great approach in those RBI situations. 'He's been through a lot. I've seen some (of his) postseasons, so he's a guy who brings a lot of valuable experience to the group, and that will do nothing but enhance what has already been a very special season with this group.' Naylor should be a considerable offensive upgrade at first base over Donovan Solano, who is hitting .243 with a .626 OPS, three homers and 20 RBIs in 64 games, and Luke Raley, who is batting .220 with a .691 OPS, four homers and 18 RBIs in 49 games. Utility man Miles Mastrobuoni was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma to clear a 26-man roster spot for Naylor. 'I've heard nothing but great things about this organization, about this team, about how hard they play,' Naylor said of the American League wild-card-contending Mariners, who entered Friday with a 55-48 record. 'They're a tough group. Obviously, the pitching speaks for itself, they're phenomenal on that end. The offense is great, too. 'Raleigh's having such an incredible year. It's super cool to watch from the outside. Julio (Rodriguez) is such a leader, a phenomenal player and athlete — he's a game changer. I'm really excited to be here and be a part of it and to see how I can contribute.' ___ AP MLB:
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
New Seattle slugger Josh Naylor plugged into cleanup spot behind Raleigh for debut against Angels
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Pressure is a privilege in the eyes of new Seattle Mariners slugger Josh Naylor. Naylor is looking forward to the opportunity to bat cleanup in his first game with Seattle against the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night. 'I love the word pressure,' said Naylor, a first baseman who was acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks for two pitching prospects on Thursday. 'I think it's a gift, a position God puts you in because he knows you can handle it.' The left-handed hitting Naylor likely won't win a Gold Glove at first base. But, he has always been able to handle the bat. The 28-year-old Naylor is a career .267 hitter with a .773 OPS in seven big-league seasons. He joins the Mariners after hitting .292 with an .807 OPS, 11 homers, 19 doubles, 59 RBIs, 49 strikeouts and 37 walks in 93 games with the D-Backs this season. Naylor, who played in 19 playoff games with the Cleveland Guardians, is also a career .294 hitter with an .846 OPS with runners in scoring position. He entered Friday with a .298 average (28 for 94) and .810 OPS in those situations this season. That track record earned Naylor a prime position in Seattle's lineup behind No. 3 hitter Cal Raleigh, who entered Friday as the MLB leader with 39 homers and tied for second 84 RBIs. Seattle's No. 5 hitter is Randy Arozarena, who entered Friday with 19 homers and 51 RBIs. 'I think he's a good fit (in the cleanup spot) because of the way he swings the bat,' Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. 'He's a guy who is going to have a great approach in those RBI situations. 'He's been through a lot. I've seen some (of his) postseasons, so he's a guy who brings a lot of valuable experience to the group, and that will do nothing but enhance what has already been a very special season with this group.' Naylor should be a considerable offensive upgrade at first base over Donovan Solano, who is hitting .243 with a .626 OPS, three homers and 20 RBIs in 64 games, and Luke Raley, who is batting .220 with a .691 OPS, four homers and 18 RBIs in 49 games. Utility man Miles Mastrobuoni was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma to clear a 26-man roster spot for Naylor. 'I've heard nothing but great things about this organization, about this team, about how hard they play,' Naylor said of the American League wild-card-contending Mariners, who entered Friday with a 55-48 record. 'They're a tough group. Obviously, the pitching speaks for itself, they're phenomenal on that end. The offense is great, too. 'Raleigh's having such an incredible year. It's super cool to watch from the outside. Julio (Rodriguez) is such a leader, a phenomenal player and athlete — he's a game changer. I'm really excited to be here and be a part of it and to see how I can contribute.' ___ AP MLB: Mike Digiovanna, The Associated Press
