Cal Raleigh is the new single-season home run king among catchers.
And he achieved the feat in truly epic fashion.
The Seattle Mariners switch-hitting slugger homered in each of his first two at-bats against the Athletics on Sunday afternoon, belting his 48th and 49th home runs of the year to break the single-season record for most homers by a primary catcher.
Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez held the previous mark with 48 homers in 2021.
Raleigh hit both home runs from the right side off A’s left-hander Jacob Lopez. He tied the record in the first inning, when he clobbered a majestic two-run blast that soared 448 feet into the second deck in left field at T-Mobile Park. He then broke the record in the second inning, when he belted another two-run shot over the left-center-field fence that traveled 412 feet and gave Seattle a 5-1 lead.
Amid a chorus of “MVP” chants, Raleigh received a standing ovation and a curtain call following his record-setting 49th home run.
Raleigh is now just five homers away from matching the MLB single-season record for home runs by a switch-hitter. That record has stood for much longer than the catcher home run record, as it was set by New York Yankees legend Mickey Mantle with 54 homers in 1961.
Raleigh also still has a chance to challenge Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge’s American League record of 62 home runs, which was set in 2022. The Mariners still have 31 games left to play.
Only five other catchers hit 40 homers in a season prior to Raleigh: Perez, Johnny Bench (twice), Roy Campanella, Todd Hundley and Piazza (twice).
With one more homer, Raleigh would join Ken Griffey Jr. as the only Mariners hitters to hit 50 in a season. Griffey holds the M’s record with 56 homers in a season, which he accomplished in both 1997 and 1998.
“The Big Dumper” currently leads the majors with 49 home runs and is second in RBIs with 106. He’s the first catcher with back-to-back seasons of at least 100 RBIs since Mike Piazza did so 1999 and 2000.
Sunday was Raleigh’s ninth multi-homer game of the season, which surpassed Mantle for the most in a season by a switch-hitter. The overall single-season record is 11 multi-homer games, which has been done three times.
Last month, Raleigh shattered the records for the most home runs by a catcher and a switch-hitter before the All-Star break with 38. No other catcher or switch-hitter had ever reached 30 before the Midsummer Classic. Raleigh also eclipsed Griffey’s first-half franchise record of 35 homers prior to the All-Star break.
Raleigh hit 27 homers during his first full season in 2022, followed by 30 homers in 2023 and 34 in 2024. He also received the AL’s Platinum Glove Award last season as the best defensive player in the league, regardless of position.
But Raleigh has reached a whole new level of prominence during his historic 2025 campaign, which included his first career All-Star nod and a Home Run Derby title during the All-Star festivities in Atlanta.
More on the Seattle Mariners
• Seattle Mariners prospect Lazaro Montes ‘does things most guys can’t do’
• Seattle Mariners RHP Bryan Woo keeps remarkable run going with another gem
• Seattle Mariners rookie Ben Williamson showing more pop in Triple-A
• Mariners Injury Update: 2 players nearing rehab stints, latest on Robles, Canzone
• Seattle Mariners trying Emerson Hancock in ‘pen has former reliever intrigued
Source link
