PEORIA, Ariz. -- After having the best season of his career in 2023, Luke Raley came into Spring Training with some high expectations to carry on his success in his first year with the Mariners.

With a high bar set, it was easy to understand his frustration when he went 1-for-23 in his first 10 games of Spring Training. But as of late -- specifically in Sunday¡¯s 9-9 tie against the Cubs at Peoria Sports Complex -- the 29-year-old has shown why he got so much praise when he was acquired by the Mariners in a trade that sent Jos¨¦ Caballero to the Rays.

Raley recorded two extra-base hits in Seattle's Cactus League finale, headlined by a first-pitch, bases-clearing double in the bottom of the fifth inning. Since March 16, Raley has been hitting .353 and is set to get more playing time when the club travels to Petco Park to play two exhibition games against the Padres ahead of Opening Night on Thursday back at home.

¡°I wasn¡¯t feeling great at the beginning,¡± Raley said. ¡°I was making a couple of adjustments. Things weren't going my way and [I] stuck with it and kept working hard and now it's starting to feel better.¡±

Mariners manager Scott Servais said pregame that despite Raley¡¯s early struggles, he was satisfied with his play.

¡°He's really strong,¡± Servais said. ¡°You can see it even when he just misses them. He hits them high and he¡¯s going to be more consistent. I thought his at-bats were really good today.¡±

There was a lot to be excited about when the Mariners acquired Raley on Jan. 5.

Seattle knew it was getting a batter that provided much-needed left-handed pop in the middle of the lineup, while also being able to play all over the outfield and fill in at first base when needed. And despite Raley¡¯s 6-foot-4-inch, 235-pound frame, his speed makes him a threat on the basepaths.

He showcased that hidden talent in the fourth inning, when he crushed a ball that was heading in the direction of Cubs center fielder Alexander Canario. However, Canario misplayed the ball and dropped it out of his reach toward the wall. Raley turned on the jets and stretched an easy double into a close triple with a head-first slide.

¡°That¡¯s the common misconception,¡± Raley said in an in-game interview on ROOT Sports. ¡°Big body, can¡¯t run. I think I kind of trick everybody with my speed.¡±

Raley¡¯s late Spring Training success is a relief for him. He isn¡¯t a stranger to being traded, but he really wanted to make a strong impression on his new teammates and coaches.

¡°All of them have been extremely welcoming,¡± Raley said. ¡°That probably made it worse, because they're so welcoming, and how bad I was struggling. They¡¯ve been the same the whole time, great group of guys and I¡¯m excited to get going."

Yes, that really happened
Servais smiled when discussing Saturday's 8-2 win over the White Sox at Camelback Ranch. That¡¯s because he revealed that not a single batter chased a pitch, something the skipper has never seen in his career as a manager or player.

¡°It's hard to do,¡± Servais said. ¡°I don't care what league you're playing -- Cactus League, Grapefruit League, Dominican League, the big leagues. It's hard to get that.¡±

Gilbert¡¯s final tune-up
Logan Gilbert pitched 4 2/3 innings, allowing two earned runs in his final outing before the beginning of the regular season. He finished the spring with a 6.75 ERA with 24 strikeouts in 16 innings pitched. Gilbert came into 2024 working a new cutter and said he would probably use it in the regular season.

¡°I feel pretty confident about the cutter,¡± Gilbert said. ¡°So we're messing around with that. Just seeing what it even was or if we're going to use it, feel pretty good about that. First-pitch strikes have been pretty good throughout camp. So we really put an emphasis on that.¡±