Cal Raleigh Breaks MLB Catcher Home Run Record with 49th Blast
Hey, have you heard about Cal Raleigh’s incredible milestone with the Seattle Mariners? It’s been making waves across the baseball world. On Sunday, Raleigh hit not just one, but two massive home runs against the Oakland Athletics, and in doing so, he set a new single-season record for home runs by a catcher . That’s right—he’s officially surpassed Salvador Perez’s mark of 48, which was set back in 2021 with the Kansas City Royals.
Raleigh’s first homer of the game came off a fastball from left-handed starter Jacob Lopez in the first inning , and it was a monster—estimated at 448 feet , the longest home run of Raleigh’s career from the right side of the plate. Then, in the very next inning, he connected again, this time on a changeup , sending it 412 feet . These were actually his 39th and 40th homers of the season as a catcher, and he also has nine more while serving as a designated hitter, making his season total even more impressive.
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To put this into perspective, only four other catchers in MLB history have hit 40 or more homers in a single season while primarily catching: Johnny Bench, Roy Campanella, Todd Hundley, and Mike Piazza . All of them, except Hundley, are Hall of Famers. Raleigh’s consistency is striking too—he’s been steadily increasing his home run totals over the past few years, hitting 27 in 2022, 30 in 2023, and 34 last season.
This year, Raleigh has really burst onto the national stage. He became a first-time All-Star at age 28 and made history by winning the All-Star Home Run Derby , becoming the first switch-hitter and first catcher to do so. He’s only the second Mariners player to win the Derby, following the legendary Ken Griffey Jr.
With 31 games left in the season , there’s a very real chance Raleigh could even surpass Griffey’s franchise record of 56 home runs in a single season . On top of that, his home runs have driven in 104 RBIs this year , making him the first catcher to post consecutive 100-RBI seasons since Mike Piazza, and the first American League catcher to do it since Thurman Munson in the mid-1970s.
So, whether you’re a Mariners fan or just love watching historic moments unfold, Cal Raleigh’s season is something truly special . He’s not just breaking records—he’s rewriting what’s possible for catchers in Major League Baseball.
If you were at the game or watching on TV, you’d have seen history happen right before your eyes. And honestly, it feels like this is just the beginning for Raleigh.
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