For a Mariners team with championship aspirations, the biggest question this spring wasn’t about on-field performance, but whether two international rivals could bury the hatchet for the good of the clubhouse.

One of the WBC’s most memorable moments was when Team USA’s Cal Raleigh refused to shake hands with Mexico’s outfielder Randy Arozarena when he came to the plate. However, now that the WBC is over and MLB flavor is back, Raleigh and Arozarena are both back in the Mariners’ camp, causing fans to worry about whether they could reconcile again. The latest update, however, hints at a positive clubhouse story for the Mariners.

“We talked it out. Randy knows that I love him, and he’s a brother. It’s in the past, and none of us is carrying this forward. We’re in a good spot. We talked it out. We’re both sorry, and we both got in a good place, and we’re both happy to be here too,” Raleigh said about Arozarena after coming back to the Mariners.

So, Raleigh sounds like they have sorted it out with no WBC beef remaining between them. What could be more assuring for the fans would be how Arozarena supported Raleigh here.

“I understand that with Opening Day a few days away, I don’t want it to be a distraction. Cal and I have talked, and I apologized for what I said after the game. Nothing in the WBC takes away from the fact that we are brothers,” Arozarena said.

The Mariners had one of the best seasons in 2025. They won 90 games and even went to Game 7 of the ALCS. And for that, the major credit goes to Raleigh and Arozarena.

Raleigh scored a 7.4 WAR and was second in the AL MVP voting. He also scored an impressive 60 HRs. On the other hand, Arozarena scored more than 4 WAR. Moreover, his walk-off single off the Twins pitcher Griffin Jax secured a second consecutive walk-off victory for the Mariners. So, since the WBC beef, the Mariners’ front office was tense about how both would face off in the clubhouse.

Now that both have termed each other as brothers, it sounds very unlikely what they said against each other during the WBC. During a pool play game between Team USA and Mexico, as Arozarena stepped to the plate, he extended a handshake to catcher Raleigh, but Raleigh outright refused. “I have a responsibility to my teammates and the country to be focused and locked in,” Raleigh said in defense of his act.

However, it didn’t sit well with Arozarena. “The other thing I want to say to him, I’ll tell it to him Cuban-style. What he needs to do is go f— himself. Mexican-style: he can go f— himself. And in English, I’m gonna say it to him in English. That’s good to see you’ he gave me. He can shove it up his a–,” Arozarena told reporters postgame.

So, the Mariners front office can have a sigh of relief with both eventually shaking hands now. But despite Raleigh and Arozarena coming together, the Mariners could still see some regression in their power this year.

Offence would be the key focus for the Mariners in 2026

The biggest challenge for the Mariners’ offense this year would be the absence of Jorge Polanco and Eugenio Suárez. Their combined 75 home runs in 2025 would be a challenging task for the team to replace. Moreover, a regression from Cal Raleigh can also be expected.

While Raleigh scored 60 HRs last year, it was his best by far. Before that, 34 homers were his best out of any season. So, the Mariners could expect a regression from Raleigh’s bat this year. So, now the question is how the Mariners adjust to this lack of power this year.

The biggest answer probably would be leadoff hitter Brendan Donovan. He was traded from the Cardinals after his .287 season in 2025. Moreover, his 13.0% strikeout rate is the 14th lowest among the qualified hitters in 2025. So, while the Mariners’ outrageous home runs from the last season could take a toll, the chances of seeing more grounders are high.

Nevertheless, with the clubhouse tussle resolved for the Mariners, all eyes would now be on their offense, whether they could get over their 2025 stats or not.