Team USA star Cal Raleigh threw friendship out the window once he stepped onto the World Baseball Classic diamond on Friday against Team Canada.
Raleigh was the starting catcher for the Americans in their quarterfinals matchup against their North American rivals at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas. He only had one thing on his mind: crush the Canadians.
Team Canada first baseman Josh Naylor, who happens to be Raleigh’s teammate on the Seattle Mariners, stepped up to the plate for his first at-bat in the bottom of the first inning. Naylor tried to give Raleigh a fist bump, but the “Big Dumper” wasn’t having any of it.
It appears Canada's Josh Naylor didn't get a fist bump from Mariners teammate and Team USA's Cal Raleigh 😬
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) March 14, 2026
(via @LuisGilbertLop)pic.twitter.com/3hOesPkm0I
Raleigh left Naylor hanging and went down into his crouch position. Naylor ended up popping out in foul territory.
Naylor and Raleigh are two of the most beloved players on the Mariners’ roster, right up there next to Julio Rodriguez. The team went to war together last October and fell just one game shy of the World Series. But once the players rock their respective national team uniforms during the World Baseball Classic, the MLB allegiances are shelved for the time being.
It’s the second time Raleigh has refused to exchange pleasantries with a Mariners teammate during the WBC. Mariners outfielder Randy Arozarena had a profane message for Raleigh after getting similarly ignored earlier this week when Team USA faced Mexico.
Raleigh at least stayed consistent with his snub of Naylor.
