The Seattle Mariners have been on a tear this season — and so has catcher Cal Raleigh. Seemingly coming out of nowhere, Raleigh has put the entire MLB on notice. Known for his power at the plate, he’s shown the ability to crush the ball from both sides, and Tuesday night was nothing short of historic for the switch-hitting catcher.
“The first home run from Raleigh Tuesday came in the third inning and was his 55th of the season. It's a significant number because Raleigh passed Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle and set a new record for the most home runs ever in a season by a switch-hitter. Raleigh later hit his 56th of the season, tying Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. for the Mariners' franchise record,” CBS Sports’ Matt Snyder wrote.
As impressive as that feat is on its own, it wasn’t the only history Raleigh made that night — he also set an MLB record that belongs solely to him.
“Cal Raleigh of the Mariners is the first player in MLB history to have a multi-homer game against 10 different teams in the same season,” Opta Stats posted.
Raleigh’s season is shaping up to be one of the greatest ever by a catcher. He has been dominant from start to finish, helping position the Mariners for a potential division title — if they can hold off the Houston Astros.
“The Mariners (83-68) maintained their half-game lead on the Astros (83-69) with 11 games to play. That leaves the magic number to clinch the division sitting at 11 entering Wednesday. The two teams face each other this weekend, so Seattle can certainly put itself in the driver's seat,” SI’s Jackson Roberts wrote.
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Raleigh has done everything in his power this season to push the Mariners toward the postseason — a goal that now seems within reach barring a major collapse. Tuesday night’s performance was the perfect microcosm of his season: powerful, historic, and clutch. It’s been a dream year for Cal Raleigh, and it’s one Mariners fans won’t soon forget.