FINAL GRADES: Luke Raley Had a Career Best Season For Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners offense didn't have a good year in 2024. At one point, they were on pace to set the MLB record for the most strikeouts ever. The Mariners finished 29th in batting average (.224), tied for 12th in home runs (185) and ended the year dead-last in strikeouts (1,625).
The offense could be considered the main reason why Seattle missed out on the postseason for the 22nd time in 23 years. But there was still some good to come out of it.
One of those positives was a career-best season from fourth outfielder/first baseman/utility man Luke Raley.
Raley played his first year with the Mariners in 2024 after coming over from the Tampa Bay Rays in a straight-up trade for Jose Caballero on Jan. 5.
Raley was one of the most effective hitters in Seattle's lineup against right-handed pitching and went from a seldom-used spot starter to earning a permanent spot in the lineup going forward.
Unless a left-handed pitcher is on the mound.
Luke Raley by the numbers
Games played: 137
Hitting stats: .243 BA, 22 HRs, 58 RBIs, 58 Runs, 19 Doubles, 2 Triples, 27 BB, 135 SOs, .320 OBP, .463 SLG, .783 OPS, 3.2 WAR
Defensive stats: 411 Total chances, 4 Errors, .990 Fielding
Base running stats: 11 SB, 2 CS, 28.9 MPH Sprint Speed
Advanced hitting stats: 129 wRC+, 14.9 BRAA, 11% Barrel, 41.8% Hard-Hit, 27.9% Chase, 34.5% Whiff
Advanced defensive stats: -5 Range (OAA), 0 Arm Value, 87.8 MPH Arm Strength
What I liked
Raley only got better as the season progressed.
He batted .227 in April and after that he put up monthly average totals of .289 in May and .263 in June. His batting average dipped in July to .129. But after that, Raley finished the season with a .264 average in August and .284 in September. His slugging numbers in the final month of the season rivaled likely American League MVP Aaron Judge and superstar Juan Soto.
Raley hit half of his 22 home runs in the last two months of the season and brought in 29 runs over that same stretch.
Another nuke by Luke 🤯 pic.twitter.com/pQvWlniUZ2
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) September 15, 2024
After Seattle traded Ty France to the Cincinnati Reds, Raley was tasked along trade deadline acquisition Justin Turner to man first base. This came after heir-apparent Tyler Locklear was sent back down to Triple-A after just a week in the big leagues.
Raley wasn't the smoothest first baseman, but he did his job and wasn't a negative on defense.
Raley was also tasked several times to go out in the outfield with various injuries to Julio Rodriguez, Victor Robles and Randy Arozarena.
Similar to first base, Raley wasn't the smoothest outfielder. But he wasn't a liability, either.
Raley's power at the plate was on full display in the second half of the year. He hit the second-longest homer in T-Mobile Park history on Aug. 2 against the Philadelphia Phillies (459 feet). An argument could be made that he was the team's most effective slugger when Seattle was home in the Pacific Northwest post-All-Star Break.
Luke Raley with a 459 foot BOMB 💣
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 3, 2024
pic.twitter.com/3XZ0fQxQZE
Best game
Raley had multiple two-hit games during the season and a few could be considered his best.
But the Lake Erie College product's most effective game was arguably the second-to-last contest of the season against the Oakland Athletics on Sept. 28.
Raley went 2-for-3 and reached base safely three times (he induced a walk) without striking out in the Mariners' 7-6 win.
Raley had a home run, a double, three RBIs, scored twice and turned six bases.
.@lraley20 ties it back up in the 9th! #TridentsUp pic.twitter.com/0rPYZzxkIb
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) September 29, 2024
Future prospects
Seattle needed someone to step up and be the glue guy between the top half and bottom half of the order. Raley (and Turner) provided that and gave the Mariners a healthy and effective one-through-six when everyone was fully healthy.
Raley's defense also prevented the team from being liable in the field most days.
Raley's power was also a welcome addition to the order. Aside from Cal Raleigh, the Mariners were absent of a pure slugger. That problem was exacerbated with Rodriguez out for three weeks with a high ankle sprain.
But the lion's share of Raley's effectiveness as a hitter came against right-handed pitchers. He had a .189 average against southpaw hurlers compared to a .255 average against righties.
Raley also can have an all-or-nothing approach in a some of his at-bats, as is the norm with a lot of power-hitters.
Raley was fourth on the team in strikeouts and was fifth in at-bats.
If Raley can hit more effectively against lefties, then he will be even more effective in 2025.
Final grade: B
B: Raley earns the third "B" grade in our final rankings so far.
Raley was exactly what he was supposed to be: a solid, power-hitting utility man who can fill in for a variety of positions with effective slugging.
He might have overachieved in 2024, but it's hard to look at Raley's full season and not think that there's room for him to get even better.
For one, 2024 was Raley's second time playing over 100 games and first time playing over 130. He's only four years deep into his major league career.
Secondly, Raley has only trended upwards in his career the more opportunities he's received. And there's a clear path of improvement with his strikeouts, ground outs and hitting against lefties.
Raley is under team control for two more years and there's no reason to suspect that he can't continue to get better.
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