Cal Raleigh just can’t stop hitting dingers — and making history.
The Seattle Mariners catcher had another big game on Friday, hitting two home runs in the Mariners’ 12-3 win over the Detroit Tigers. Raleigh’s two homers marked his 37th and 38th of the season — with the second one being a grand slam in the top of the ninth.
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The latest tallies bring Raleigh within one home run of a stunning record: If Raleigh gets another homer this weekend, he will tie Barry Bonds for the most homers (39) before the All-Star break. (Bonds set the record in 2001; however, his association with MLB’s steroids era has put an asterisk on many of his stats.)
Raleigh has been on a tear this year, already tying his previous career high for home runs despite only being halfway through the season.
In addition, Raleigh is one of few high-performing switch hitters in the league, and has hit a number of extra records as a result of that. Last month, the catcher became the first switch hitter to hit 30 homers before the All-Star break.
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Friday’s game was Raleigh’s eighth multi-home run game this season, which has him tied with Mickey Mantle for most by a switch hitter in a season (1961). Raleigh still has 68 games this season to unseat Mantle — and possibly keep going.
Raleigh has been well-rewarded as a result of his home run heroics: The catcher will be participating in his first All-Star Game and his first Home Run Derby next week. Now, though, he will have two more games against the Tigers to shoot for Bonds’ record — and beyond.
Long-term, Raleigh will be shooting for MLB’s home run title. He currently leads Aaron Judge, who is in second with 34 home runs, by four homers; Shohei Ohtani is next on the list with 31.
