Kansas City. – Seattle Mariners catcher,
Cal Raleigh, wrote a new page in Major League history by becoming the switch-hitter with the most home runs in a single season, surpassing none other than
Mickey Mantle, and at the same time equaling an emblematic record within his franchise.
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Raleigh hit his 55th and 56th home runs of the season during Thursday’s game at
Kauffman Stadium against the Kansas City Royals. With those two hits, he surpassed Mantle’s mark (54 in 1961) and reached the figure of
Ken Griffey Jr., who hit 56 in 1997 and 1998, the most in Mariners history.
Both home runs came in consecutive innings and from both sides of the plate: the first, a 419-foot hit to right field off a pitch from Michael Wacha; the second, a 425-foot laser to center. In this way, the “Big Dumper” signed an performance that reinforces his credentials as a serious candidate for the American League Most Valuable Player .
At 28 years old, Raleigh leads the American League in home runs (56) and RBIs (118), in addition to having
10 games with multiple home runs so far this season. He also holds a historic record:
45 of his home runs have come while playing as a catcher, the most in a season for that position in all of MLB.
Now, the Mariners’ slugger needs six more home runs in the remaining 11 games of the campaign to equal the record of
Aaron Judge (62 in 2022), an absolute American League record in a season.
Raleigh finished the game 3-3 with three RBIs and 10 total bases in just five innings, as the Mariners sought their tenth consecutive victory, something that has only happened five times in the history of the franchise.
