The Big Dumper is challenging The Judge in more ways than one.
Mariners star catcher Cal Raleigh went deep twice on Wednesday night for home runs 59 and 60 as the Mariners wrapped up the American League West division title with a 9-2 win over the Colorado Rockies.
The two-homer performance by Raleigh isn’t just narrowing an increasingly competitive AL MVP race, but Raleigh needs just two home runs to tie Judge’s AL home run record of 62.
“It’s crazy. 60 is — I don’t know what to say,” Raleigh said after the game. “I didn’t know if I was going to hit 60 in my life. Just tonight, what a way to do it.”
Raleigh needs to hit three home runs over his final four games to break Judge’s illustrious record, which he set in 2022.
Judge has 51 home runs this season, breaking the 50 mark for the fourth time in his unbelievable career.
With the home run record firmly within his reach, it remains to be seen how the Mariners will play the end of the season and if Raleigh will play much over the team’s remaining four games.
Seattle has a chance to catch the Yankees or Blue Jays (tied for the AL East lead) for the No. 1 seed in the American League and have a three-game lead on the Guardians for the No. 2 seed.
Still, there could be an advantage to resting Raleigh, who has played 155 games this season — 120 as catcher and 35 as DH.
The Mariners are the only team in baseball to have never made a World Series.
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