Seattle, WA
Raleigh: What makes Seattle Mariners' Bryan Woo 'different'
Nobody has a better seat to watch the Seattle Mariners’ dominant starting rotation than catcher Cal Raleigh.
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The 2024 American League Platinum Glove winner gets to experience the uniquely talented rotation from behind the plate on a near daily basis from the start of spring training until the final out of the season. It’s an experience Raleigh relishes.
“It’s not easy, but it’s a lot of fun,” Raleigh said during a conversation with Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk at Mariners camp in Arizona. “… They’re all different in the way that you talk to them, the way you approach them, how they feel on certain things, how they react to certain situations is completely different. And that’s top to bottom, that’s starters all the way down to the relievers.”
One of the five starters Raleigh gets to regularly work with is right-hander Bryan Woo, who broke out in a major way during a stellar second season in the big leagues. Woo posted a 2.84 ERA, 0.898 WHIP and 101 strikeouts to just 13 walks over 121 1/3 innings on his way to a 9-3 record in 22 starts last season.
Woo amassed those numbers while pumping fastballs at a rate that most starters (at least ones as effective as Woo) rarely do, hurling 72% four-seamers and sinkers from his low arm slot with little fear of leaving those pitches over the plate. It resulted in the right-hander having one of the most effective fastball combos in MLB, ranking in the 95th percentile with a plus-17 fastball run value.
“When he locks it in, the hitters when they get to first base, they’re like, ‘That’s different,’” Raleigh said.
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Brock and Salk co-host Mike Salk asked Raleigh to elaborate on what makes Woo’s fastball so hard to hit. The switch-hitting catcher had some lofty comparison when talking about the type of stuff Woo has on the mound.
“I would look at guys, (for) example, like a (Brandon) Woodruff with Milwaukee, Freddy Peralta with Milwaukee as well, (Philadelphia’s) Zach Wheeler, (Texas’) Jacob DeGrom,” Raleigh said. “I’m not just throwing those names out for you guys. That’s the kind of stuff that he has.”
Batters hit just .213 with a .350 slugging percentage off Woo’s four-seamer and .213 with a .350 slugging percentage on his sinker last season. His fastballs aren’t uniquely overpowering, sitting just above league average with an average velocity of 94.8 mph (62nd percentile). But Woo’s low arm angle (27 degrees) and smooth delivery help add deception.
“It comes out so smooth and it’s so efficient and like easy cheese,” Raleigh said. “You see some guys out there and they’re grunting and they’re throwing hard, but it’s max effort. And you see him and you’re like, ‘Is he even going like 60%?’ And he’s throwing 95 and he’s just blowing it by people. … That deception is killer.”
Hear the full conversation with Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Tune in to Brock and Salk weekdays from 6-10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.
More on the Seattle Mariners
• Logan Gilbert: How Dan Wilson is putting his stamp on the Mariners
• Mariners’ Bryce Miller gives close look at all of his pitches
• Mariners Notebook: Everybody bunts, a new injury and more
• Gilbert addresses if he would sign an extension with Seattle Mariners
• Why ‘Pitching Ninja’ is big fan of Seattle Mariners’ Cal Raleigh
Seattle, WA
Detectives Investigating Drive-By Shooting in South Seattle – SPD Blotter
Seattle police detectives in the Gun Violence Reduction Unit (GVRU) are investigating a drive-by shooting this afternoon that injured a young man in the Rainer Valley and shut down multiple intersections.
At about 4:40 p.m., patrol officers responded to reports of a shooting at Rainier Avenue South and South Othello Street. Officers found three related crime scenes, with the initial location being the intersection of Rainier and Othello. There, officers recovered dozens of shell casings and bullet damage to a nearby business.
Police recovered additional ballistic evidence at the second scene, near Holly Park Drive South and South Myrtle Place. Officers discovered the third crime scene directly in front of the South Precinct, where they stopped one of the involved cars, a Tesla, that sustained significant bullet damage.
The driver of this car, an 18-year-old man, did not have any injuries. The passenger, also 18, sustained a grazing gunshot wound to his head. Firefighters arrived to treat his injury, and medics took him to Harborview Medical Center (HMC) in stable condition.
Police determined that the suspects fired on the Tesla from another vehicle at Rainier and Othello. The victims sped away from the intersection and the suspect vehicle fled the area. Multiple cars drove away from the gunfire and pedestrians ran to safety. The Tesla sped off towards the precinct before being intercepted by officers.
Seattle police and King County deputies searched for the suspects but could not find them. Police did not make any arrests. GVRU detectives responded to the shooting. Police processed all three crime scenes and investigators conducted interviews at HMC. SPD’s Video Unit responded and recovered video footage from the area.
This is an open and active case assigned to GVRU. The circumstances leading up to the shooting are under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call the Violent Crimes Tip Line at 206-233-5000. Anonymous tips are accepted.
Incident Number: 2026-96231
Seattle, WA
Who are your all-time favorite late-round Seattle Seahawks draft picks?
We’re continuing our theme of Seattle Seahawks NFL Draft discussion today with a trip down memory lane.
The Seahawks have a deep history of finding some gems in the later rounds of the draft. Three Legion of Boom members were taken in the fourth, fifth, fifth, and sixth rounds, while Seattle’s first Super Bowl MVP was seventh-round linebacker Malcolm Smith. The only offensive touchdown scored in Seattle’s second Super Bowl win was by fourth-round tight end A.J. Barner, who might be on the cusp of stardom beyond the Seattle sports bubble.
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We want to know your favorite Seahawks late-round draft picks of all time, but there is a clear restriction to eliminate some obvious candidates. A “late-round draft pick” is defined as no earlier than Round 4, which means Russell Wilson and Tyler Lockett are ineligible as third-rounders. Once upon a time, the NFL Draft was longer than seven rounds—the Seahawks’ inaugural season had a 17-round draft—so if you want to really choose players from before the change-over in 1994 then go right ahead! Undrafted players like Doug Baldwin do not count because, well, they were literally not drafted.
You don’t have to reason that they were legendary, all-time great Seahawks. Chris Carson is not one of the top three running backs in Seahawks history but I’ll be damned if it wasn’t a joy to watch a seventh-round pick become a quality starter whose career was cruelly cut short due to injury.
And yes, Michael Dickson (fifth-round pick) counts because punters are indeed people.
Refer to Pro Football Reference for the Seahawks’ draft history in case your memory needs jogging.
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Seattle, WA
Seattle area Iranian-Americans, activists react to ceasefire deal
SEATTLE — People from Seattle to Redmond are speaking out about the ceasefire deal between the U.S. and Iran after President Trump’s threat of massive attacks.
President Trump on Tuesday announced he would suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for two weeks as part of a temporary ceasefire brokered by the Pakistani government.
The suspension of attacks is contingent on Iran agreeing to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
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Iran responded by claiming victory, saying ships will be allowed to pass through the strait, but only under the management of the Iranian military.
Shayan Arya is an Iranian-American with cousins and friends in Iran, who have detailed by phone their experiences being near recent warfare.
“In the middle of our conversations, the bombing started,” Arya explained. “And so she said, ‘Can you hear the bombs dropping?’”
He said he was concerned about power plants being bombed in Iran, and is grateful they won’t be targeted, for now.
Meanwhile, on the steps of Seattle City Hall, a group rallied against the Trump Administration’s foreign policy and actions.
“Perhaps we should stop bombing the cradle of civilization and calling it freedom. We should be investing in people, the communities,” one woman chanted through a megaphone.
Counter-protesters showed up, leading to heated confrontations for a short time.
Arya said he feels relief, for now, amid the ceasefire, but that there’s ongoing concern about Iran’s future under its current regime.
“It’s just a matter of time [until the regime collapses], and at what price?” he asked.
CNN reports the White House is preparing for in-person negotiations with Iran to help broker a long-term peace deal.
The developments come just hours after the president posted a message online, threatening, “A whole civilization could die tonight… Never to be brought back again.”
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