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 another home run to his tally on Saturday, surpassing another MLB legend in the process, followed by another on Sunday night. Raleigh has already broken home run records for a catcher and for a switch-hitter, in addition to setting a new record for the Mariners. And, who could forget his triumph in the Home Run Derby earlier this summer? What record could Raleigh break next? How many home runs will he finish the season with? We analyze his impressive performance.
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The Current Pace of Raleigh
Raleigh currently has 58 home runs and is projected to reach 60, with seven games remaining. The American League record is 62, set by Aaron Judge in 2022. In MLB history, only nine seasons with 60 home runs have been recorded.Who Raleigh surpassed with his last home run
With his 58th home run on Sunday night, Raleigh surpassed Luis Gonzalez and Alex Rodriguez on the single-season home run list. With number 57 the night before, Raleigh broke the Mariners franchise record of Ken Griffey Jr., who hit 56 home runs in the 1997 and 1998 seasons. Raleigh joins Griffey as the only Mariners players with 50 home runs (or even 45) in a season. In addition, he is the first Seattle hitter with 40 home runs in a season since Nelson Cruz in 2016.Who could Raleigh reach with his next home run
After surpassing Mickey Mantle, Griffey, and A-Rod with his latest hits, the next big question for Raleigh is whether he can reach 60. However, he is already in select company, as home run number 59 would put him above Jimmie Foxx and Hank Greenberg on the single-season home run list.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.
- Surpassing Salvador Perez’s record: Breaking Salvador Perez’s record of 48 home runs for a starting catcher was notable, but surpassing Mantle’s mark is arguably more impressive given the longevity of the record and the importance of the Hall of Famer.
- One of the best months for a catcher: In May, Raleigh batted .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, batting .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 batted .319 with 14 home runs.
- Reaching 100 runs and 100 RBIs: Raleigh has 107 runs scored and leads the American League with 121 RBIs. Only eight other starting catchers have reached 100 in both categories in the same season; Mike Piazza did it twice, in 1997 and 1999, and he and Ivan Rodriguez were the last catchers to achieve it in ’99. Of the other catchers, seven are in the Hall of Fame (Piazza, Rodriguez, Mickey Cochrane, Yogi Berra, Roy Campanella, Johnny Bench, and Carlton Fisk). The only exception is Darrell Porter, who reached the milestone with the Royals in 1979.
- Matching Ken Griffey Jr.’s home run record: Griffey hit 56 home runs for the Mariners in 1997 and 1998, leading the American League in both seasons and winning the MVP award in 1997 (he and Ichiro Suzuki in 2001 are the two Seattle MVP winners). Griffey had the advantage of playing in the Kingdome in those years, although his home/away splits were fairly even. Raleigh, however, has had to play in a difficult park for hitting, with 30 of his 56 home runs coming on the road, where his OPS is about 100 points higher. That marks only the 19th time a player has reached 30 road home runs (in contrast, 30 home runs at home have been achieved 37 times).
- A possibility of total bases by a catcher: With 337 total bases, Raleigh’s 2025 campaign is already one of only 20 catcher seasons with 300 total bases (yes, time at DH has helped him here). The record is 355, shared by Piazza in 1997 and Bench in 1970 (both played over 150 games in those seasons). Raleigh would need a big finish to get there, but at least he could move into third place ahead of Perez’s 337 total bases in 2021. Not counted in Raleigh’s total bases: his 14 stolen bases!
