With each swing, Cal Raleigh is earning a place in Mariners history and at the same time in the conversation for the American League MVP. His numbers bring him dangerously close to what seemed to be a closed race in favor of Aaron Judge
In an explosive night in Kansas City, the Seattle catcher hit his 55th and 56th home runs of the season, surpassing Mickey Mantle as the switch hitter with the most home runs in an MLB campaign and matching Ken Griffey Jr. as the Mariners’ all-time single-season home run leader. The “Big Dumper” shone from both sides of the plate and again showed why he is one of the most impactful figures in the league in 2025.
Cal Raleigh’s historic records: He surpassed Mickey Mantle and reached Ken Griffey Jr.
The first home run of the night came in the third inning with a 419-foot drive down the right-field line off a Michael Wacha curveball. With that swing, Raleigh surpassed Mickey Mantle’s record of 54 home runs in 1961, a mark that had stood for more than six decades.
Just one inning later, the catcher hit his second home run, this time with a 425-foot cannon shot to straightaway center field, tying Ken Griffey Jr.’s 56 home runs (1997 and 1998). Most impressively, both home runs came from different sides of the plate, marking the fifth time in his career that he has hit as a switch hitter in the same game.
Raleigh’s MVP campaign already threatens Aaron Judge’s record
Raleigh not only leads the American League in home runs (56), he is also first in RBIs (118) and has 10 multi-homer games this season. At this rate, the 28-year-old catcher needs just six more homers in the remaining 11 games to tie the 62 home runs that Aaron Judge hit in 2022, the highest figure in the history of the young circuit.
Additionally, 45 of his home runs came while playing as a catcher, setting a new Major League record for his position. In a league where catchers tend to excel more for their defense than their offensive power, Raleigh is redefining his role and his statistics place him as a legitimate MVP contender, especially if he can lead Seattle to the postseason.
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