Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh just keeps making history. He went deep twice Tuesday evening in Kansas City against the Royals in a 12-5 Mariners win.
The win was the Mariners’ 10th straight, marking their longest winning streak since taking 14 in a row in the 2022 season. The Mariners have maintained their one-game lead in the AL West as they look to secure their first division title since 2001. Julio Rodríguez had another big game and Dominic Canzone went 5 for 5 with three home runs, becoming the first Mariners player to pull off the latter feat since 2019 when Kyle Seager did it.
With the season-long history involved, though, Raleigh gets the headlines here.
The first home run from Raleigh Tuesday came in the third inning and was his 55th of the season. It’s a significant number because Raleigh passed Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle and set a new record for the most home runs ever in a season by a switch-hitter.
Raleigh later hit his 56th of the season, tying Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. for the Mariners’ franchise record.
Raleigh already set the record for the most home runs by a primary catcher in a season, which used to be 48. He’s blown by it. If you wanted to search only for home runs hit while serving as the catcher — instead of including homers Raleigh hit as a DH — he’s got 44. The previous record there was 42, set by Javy Lopez of the Braves in 2003. This means that Raleigh also set this record with his first home run on Tuesday night.
Further, this was Raleigh’s 10th multi-homer game of the season. The record is 11, which was previously done by Aaron Judge in 2022, Sammy Sosa in 1998 and Hank Greenberg in 1938 (via Sarah Langs).
How the Mariners’ nine-game winning streak has surged a turnaround and launched them into the AL West lead
Dayn Perry
Raleigh is now tied with Griffey Jr. (1997 and 1998) and Hack Wilson (1930) for the 19th-highest single-season home run total at 56. Luis Gonzalez (2001) and Alex Rodriguez (2002) are next at 57. Five players ended with exactly 58 (Jimmie Foxx in 1932, Greenberg in 1938, Mark McGwire in 1997, Ryan Howard in 2006 and Aaron Judge last season). Giancarlo Stanton in 2017 and Babe Ruth in 1921 finished with 59.
And then there’s the hallowed ground of 60-plus home runs, where we’ve only seen Barry Bonds (73 in 2021), Mark McGwire (70 in 1998 and 65 in 1999), Sammy Sosa (66 in 1998, 64 in 2001 and 63 in 1999), Aaron Judge (62 in 2022), Roger Maris (61 in 1961) and Ruth (60 in 1927) reach.
The Mariners have 11 remaining games after Tuesday. They’ll be looking to lock down that elusive division title while Raleigh has a chance to climb higher on that single-season home run list.
