Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh crushed his 50th home run of the year in a 9-6 win over the San Diego Padres. Raleigh sent a 3-2 fastball from lefty starter J.P. Sears 419 feet into the second deck at T-Mobile Park, giving Seattle an early 1-0 lead. The blast extended his major league record for home runs by a catcher and made him just the second switch-hitter in history to reach 50 in a season, joining Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle. Raleigh now sits four shy of Mantle’s 1961 record of 54.
His 50th homer came just one day after he made MLB history by hitting his 48th and 49th against the Athletics, breaking Salvador Perez’s 2021 record for most home runs in a single season by a primary catcher. With Monday’s blast, Raleigh also became the first player in MLB this season to reach the 50-homer mark and just the 33rd in league history to join the exclusive club.
Raleigh further etched his name alongside Seattle legend Ken Griffey Jr., becoming only the second Mariners player to hit 50 or more homers in a season. Griffey accomplished the feat in both 1997 and 1998 with 56 each year. Raleigh now has a chance to challenge that franchise record while also chasing Mantle’s switch-hitter mark.
Raleigh’s previous career high was 34 homers last season. Now, through just 129 games, he has surpassed that total by 16 and continues to lead the majors. On pace for 61 home runs, he has a legitimate shot at breaking both Mantle’s record and Griffey’s long-standing Mariners mark of 56.
From setting the all-time standard for catchers to joining the ranks of Mantle and Griffey, Raleigh’s 2025 season has quickly become one of the most memorable slugging campaigns in baseball history.
IT’S A 50-HOMER SEASON FOR CAL RALEIGH! 😤 pic.twitter.com/YtxwLVI66U
— MLB (@MLB) August 26, 2025
