The “Big Dumper” is at it again! In what has become a constant during Cal Raleigh’s incredible 2025 season, the Seattle Mariners catcher added two more home runs to his already historic mark on Tuesday, surpassing another MLB legend in the process. Raleigh has already broken the home run record for a catcher and for a switch hitter, in addition to joining the prestigious 50 home run club. We also can’t forget his triumph in the Home Run Derby earlier this summer.
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What record could Raleigh set next? How many home runs will he finish the season with and how impressive is his performance? We’ll tell you all about it.
Raleigh’s Current Pace
Currently, Raleigh has 56 home runs and is on track to reach 60, with 11 games remaining to be played. The American League record is 62, set by Aaron Judge in 2022, and there have only been nine seasons in MLB history with 60 home runs.Who was Raleigh’s last home run against?
With his home runs 55 and 56 on Tuesday, Raleigh surpassed Mickey Mantle, to become the switch hitter with the most home runs in a season. Raleigh and Mantle (who achieved this mark twice) are the only switch-hitters in MLB history with 50 home runs in a single season, surpassing Lance Berkman and Chipper Jones, who hit 45 each in their most prolific seasons.Who Raleigh could reach with his next home run
The next milestone for Raleigh is to surpass Ken Griffey Jr.’s franchise record for the Mariners, which is 56 home runs, a figure that Raleigh matched with his two home runs on Tuesday. Griffey reached that number twice, in the 1997 and 1998 seasons. Raleigh joins Griffey as the only Mariners with 50 home runs (or even 45) in a season. In addition, Raleigh is the first Seattle hitter with 40 home runs in a season since Nelson Cruz in 2016.The 5 most impressive feats of Raleigh in 2025
- Most home runs in a season for a switch hitter: With his 55th home run, Raleigh surpassed Mickey Mantle, who hit 54 in 1961.
- Breaking Salvador Perez’s record: Surpassing Salvador Perez’s record of 48 home runs for a primary catcher was notable, but surpassing Mantle’s mark is even more impressive given the longevity of the record and the stature of the Hall of Famer.
- One of the best months for a catcher: In May, Raleigh hit .304/.430/.739 with 12 home runs and 26 RBIs. Only four catchers have hit more home runs in a calendar month and only eight with at least 100 plate appearances produced a higher slugging percentage. Raleigh was almost as good in June, hitting .300/.398/.690 with 11 home runs and 27 RBIs, giving him two-month totals of .302/.414/.714 with 23 home runs and 53 RBIs. In a 24-game stretch from May 12 to June 7, Raleigh hit .319 with 14 home runs.
- Reaching 100 runs and 100 RBIs: Raleigh has 101 runs scored and leads the American League with 115 RBIs. Only eight other primary catchers have reached 100 runs in both categories in the same season.
- Matching Ken Griffey Jr.’s club record for home runs: Griffey hit 56 home runs for the Mariners in 1997 and 1998.
