Cal Raleigh let his bat say a lot on MLB Players’ Weekend, carrying a stick that said “Big butt… bigger bombs” written on it.
Then the All-Star catcher swung that bat and continued what’s been a dream season for the Seattle Mariners’ slugger. Raleigh hit his 46th home run of the season off the New York Mets’ Sean Manaea, a two-run shot in the third inning that put Seattle on top, 4-3.
Driving in two runs with the homer also gave Raleigh 100 RBI for the season. That matched his career-high, set last season, and also made Raleigh the first catcher since Mike Piazza in 1999 and 2000 with 100 RBI in consecutive seasons while playing at least 50% of his games behind the plate. (Piazza did it in five consecutive seasons from 1996-2000.)
Raleigh is the first American League hitter to reach 100 RBI this season and only trails the Philadelphia Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber, who has 101 after his two-run homer on Friday versus the Washington Nationals. (Raleigh actually got to 100 RBI first before Schwarber overtook him.)
However, it’s Raleigh’s home run total that media and fans will keep their eyes on through the final six weeks of the season. With homer No. 46, he leapfrogged Johnny Bench into second place for most home runs by a catcher in a single season. And he’s now two away from tying Salvador Perez’s single-season record with 48 homers, set in 2021 with the Kansas City Royals.
Raleigh is also moving up the all-time list for most home runs in a single season by a switch-hitter. His 46th homer moved him ahead of Lance Berkman and Chipper Jones for the third-highest total in a season. Only Mickey Mantle — who hit 52 homers in 1956 and 54 in 1961 — is ahead of him now.
Additionally, Raleigh tied Mantle by hitting 46 home runs in his team’s first 123 games of the season, according to MLB.com’s Sarah Langs. That will be one record Raleigh doesn’t set this year.
However, the Mariners have 39 games remaining on their schedule after Friday’s 11-9 win over the Mets. He has plenty of opportunity to put himself atop the lists for most home runs by a catcher and by a switch-hitter in a single season. Would anyone dare to bet against him at this point?
Oh, and Seattle is 1.5 games behind the Houston Astros for first place in the AL West and currently hold the league’s No. 1 wild-card playoff spot. Raleigh is doing all of this in games that matter, his home runs making maximum impact for the Mariners’ fortunes.
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