Cal Raleigh Smashes 50th Homer, Joins Elite Company
What a night it was in Seattle, as Cal Raleigh cemented his name in baseball history with a swing that Mariners fans won’t soon forget. On Monday evening, Raleigh launched his 50th home run of the season, a towering shot that carried 419 feet into the second deck of T-Mobile Park. With that one swing, he not only extended his own record for most homers ever hit by a catcher, but also placed himself in some truly legendary company.
By reaching the 50-home-run milestone, Raleigh joined none other than Mickey Mantle as the only switch-hitters to ever achieve that feat in a single season. Think about that for a moment — Mantle, a Hall of Fame icon, and now Raleigh, known to fans as the “Big Dumper,” sharing a piece of baseball history. And it happened in late August, making him just the eighth player in major league history to crack the half-century mark before September even arrived.
Also Read:Raleigh’s reaction to the milestone said it all. In his own words, he admitted, “It doesn’t seem real. Fifty home runs is kind of crazy — unheard of.” That sense of disbelief underscores just how special this season has been for him. Only two nights earlier, he homered twice against the Oakland Athletics, numbers 48 and 49, which set the stage for this historic blast.
The home run came against San Diego’s JP Sears, who battled him to a 3-2 count before leaving a fastball over the plate. Raleigh didn’t miss. And with that swing, he became just the second Mariner ever to reach 50 in a season, joining another franchise legend — Ken Griffey Jr. Griffey famously hit 56 home runs in both 1997 and 1998, seasons that remain etched into Mariners lore. Now, Raleigh’s name belongs in that conversation.
What makes this even more impressive is the position he plays. Catchers aren’t usually expected to put up video game power numbers, but Raleigh has completely redefined that standard. Salvador Perez previously held the single-season home run record for catchers at 48, set in 2021. Raleigh has now blown past that, raising the bar in spectacular fashion. Out of his 50 long balls, 40 have come while catching, and 10 while serving as the designated hitter — an incredible distribution that highlights his consistency and durability.
Seattle fans were treated not only to a milestone home run but also a victory, as the Mariners held off the Padres in a 9-6 win. Raleigh’s lone hit of the night was historic, but it was complemented by a walk and his continued presence as the anchor of the lineup.
In a sport where numbers often define greatness, Cal Raleigh has carved out a chapter that belongs alongside baseball’s biggest names. From a kid who once thought hitting five home runs in high school was a big deal, to becoming one of the game’s most powerful hitters, his journey has been nothing short of remarkable. And with more than a month left in the season, the story isn’t over yet.
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