Luke Raley DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Seattle Mariners first baseman Luke Raley (rest) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Saturday's game against the San Francisco Giants. Raley has struggled against left-handed pitching in his career, so he'll take a seat against southpaw Robbie Ray on Saturday. In his absence, Cal Raleigh will slide over to the designated hitter spot while Mitch Garver does the catching. There's a good chance that Raley only plays in a platoon role for the Mariners this season. That being said, it might be difficult for Raley to hold fantasy value outside of AL-only formats.

Seattle Mariners first baseman Luke Raley picked up his first home run of the 2025 season on Monday night at home against the Tigers. His long ball came in the fourth inning of impressive rookie Jackson Jobe, and at that point, the solo shot cut the Tigers' lead to 8-3. Ultimately, Detroit held on to win 9-6, and Raley finished the night 1-for-2 with a pair of walks. In the early going this season, Raley is 2-for-8 (.250) with three walks and three strikeouts. He typically hits in the heart of the order when he's in the lineup, but he has not started in either of the Mariners' two games against left-handed starting pitchers. He does provide home run potential, but he isn't quite mixed-league material given his role in a platoon at first for the M's.

Seattle Mariners first baseman/outfielder Luke Raley could see time against left-handed pitching. Last season, the 30-year-old deployed exclusively on the strong side of a platoon. However, manager Dan Wilson suggested that he first base may not be a "strict" platoon in 2025. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status in spring training as it could provide clarity on his potential for increased playing time. Last season, Raley held a .243/.320/.463 line with 22 home runs and 11 stolen bases, facing exclusively right-handed pitching. He generated a strong 11.0 percent barrel rate and held a 90.1 mph average exit velocity. Donovan Solano would likely face left-handed pitching if Raley were to revert to a strict platoon. Raley is worth a late-round target especially in deeper formats as he could enjoy a career-season with increased at-bats.