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.
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Seattle, WA
Outreach groups respond to the reported relocation cycle of Ballard’s homeless population
SEATTLE — As people voice concerns about an encampment in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood, outreach groups are detailing their efforts and fighting back against encampment removals.
The outreach group We Heart Seattle said it checks on the people in an encampment of at least 20 people weekly to offer water, snacks, personal hygiene items, and access to treatment.
RELATED | Ballard encampment grows after city removes nearby site along Burke-Gilman Trail
The group told KOMO it believes more can be done at the city level, from policy to housing, to get the homeless connected with shelter and services.
A woman working at the Fred Meyer off NW 45th Street and 9th Avenue captured video of a fire near tents at an encampment across the street. A day later, off camera, she told KOMO News she worries about the safety of the people living in the tents and Ballard neighbors, in addition to concerns about alleged open-air drug use at the encampment.
“We became homeless because of certain situations, and we turned to drugs, and unfortunately, addiction comes next, you know?” Crystal Rawlings told KOMO News. She has set up her tent on multiple streets in Ballard, and said she’s approaching one year of being opioid-free.
She believes there’s been more city outreach since the start of the new mayoral administration to connect people living on the streets with services, but knows there’s not enough transitional housing for everyone who needs or wants it.
She and the Ballard Community Task Force on Homelessness and Hunger urge the city to stop encampment removals that push this group to another block.
RELATED | City removes Ballard encampment as neighboring businesses raise housing concerns
“We’re not abominations. We’re not obstructions, and we’re not trash, so stop sweeping us,” Rawlings stated.
The city is still aiming to reach Mayor Katie Wilson’s goal of adding 1,000 new units of shelter in 2026 and recently opened a tiny home village in nearby Interbay, but fell short of the goal of 500 new units by June.
Andrea Suarez with We Heart Seattle estimates at least 20 people living on the street keep getting moved around Ballard, from behind the Albert Lee store to Leary Avenue to NW 45th Street behind the Fred Meyer.
“This encampment has people that’ve been homeless for more than five years. We know their names and faces. They’re still here. They’re still stuck in late-phase addiction, frankly because it’s permitted,” Suarez explained.
RELATED | Viral makeshift homeless shelter with chimney dismantled by Seattle city crews
She believes a camping ban on city sidewalks would help encourage more people to accept shelter, and help stop the cycle of moving people without
“It is an underserved community. I think it is unfair,” Suarez added. “We’ve tried to balance between enablement and really giving people a hand up, but without the teeth and backup for the work of outreach workers, it starts to feel futile, and that’s why we get burned out.”
The mayor’s office was working to send data about its homeless response in Ballard as of Wednesday afternoon.
The Ballard Community Task Force on Homelessness and Hunger estimates there have been nine Ballard-area encampment removals so far this year.
SEATTLE – Wednesday will be another warm day with highs in the mid to upper 80s for parts of western Washington. Eastern and central Washington will reach near 100F with high fire danger. The coast and north interior will be cooler, only in the 60s to 70s.
Wednesday will be another warm day with highs in the mid to upper 80s for parts of western Washington.
Fire Weather Watch
A Fire Weather Watch goes into effect Wednesday evening through Thursday evening for thunderstorms and gusty winds. Lightning strikes could create new fire starts and, with very dry conditions in place, any new fire could spread quickly.
A Fire Weather Watch goes into effect Wednesday evening through Thursday evening for thunderstorms and gusty winds.
What’s next:
An upper level low will move into the Pacific Northwest, bringing scattered showers and a chance of thunderstorms. The heaviest showers will be in the morning hours and will turn more scattered into the evening hours.
An upper level low will move into the Pacific Northwest, bringing scattered showers and chance of thunderstorms.
Looking Ahead:
High pressure will build again Friday and into the weekend, increasing temperatures and sunshine. We will start to see highs reach the upper 80s to low 90s by early next week.
High pressure will build again Friday and into the weekend, increasing temperatures and sunshine.
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The Source: Information in this story came from the FOX 13 Seattle Weather Team and the National Weather Service.
After so many disappointing seasons with the interior offensive line, the Seattle Seahawks made a commitment last offseason to improve the unit. They started one big step at a time by drafting North Dakota State guard Grey Zabel in the first round, 18th overall pick, of the 2025 NFL Draft. This one was one of the last steps for the Seahawks to create one of the most productive offenses in the NFL.
Zabel wasn’t perfect in his rookie season, but he was good enough to validate the decision to draft him in the first round, and he showed improvement. Zabel is already a favorite among some Seahawks fans and some media outlets as they love his determination and spirit. It was a big jump from the FCS collegiate level to the NFL and this season, he has a chance to show why he might be a top-half-of-the-league guard.
Why Zabel Could Be Ranked Higher?
The Seahawks wanted a determined workhorse when looking for a guard. That’s exactly what they got in Zabel. Last season, he appeared in 1,051 snaps, which is only 10 fewer snaps than right tackle Abraham Lucas, who had the most offensive snaps. Zabel got better as the season progressed. Pro Football Focus gave him an overall grade of 81.5 and a run-block grade of 81.2 in Week 14 through the NFC Championship Game.
There were times last season when he looked like a monster against several defenders. He was pushing some defenders completely out of the way on pulling plays and even ran to defenders after the pass-catcher caught the ball. This is the mentality the Seahawks expect him to have going into his second season in the league. He has more experience and the complete trust of the team to be a franchise player on par with Lucas and left tackle Charles Cross. If he continues to improve, he will be another steal for the Seahawks.
Why Zabel Could Be Ranked Lower?
There were times last season when he didn’t quite catch up to the learning curve of the NFL. Zabel allowed two sacks, four hits and 24 pressures in 2025. The Seahawks expect those numbers to decrease significantly as he is experienced and capable of playing at an efficient level. While Zabel is impressive, he might not be the best player the Seahawks have selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. That honor belongs to slot cornerback Nick Emmanwori, who is stepping up to be the steal of the draft.
Zabel is easily one of the best second-year players and is one of the top offensive linemen, but there are players behind him because they haven’t proven to be consistently explosive for the Seahawks. There is going to be even more pressure on him this upcoming season. The Seahawks hired a more run-friendly coach in Brian Fleury as offensive coordinator. His ranking at the end of the season might be much better if he improves, or worse if he fails to reach expectations.
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