Cal Raleigh’s incredible season continued in historic fashion Tuesday.
The Seattle Mariners slugger launched his 55th and 56th home runs of the 2025 campaign during Tuesday’s contest against the Kansas City Royals. In doing so, he tied Ken Griffey Jr.’s franchise record for most long balls in a single season.
The Kid reached 56 home runs in back-to-back years in 1997 and 1998.
Raleigh also broke a record with his first home run, as he passed Mickey Mantle’s all-time single-season mark for long balls by a switch hitter. Mantle hit 54 home runs during the 1961 season.
Fittingly, the Mariners star hit a home run from each side of the plate Tuesday as he surpassed Mantle.
Mantle and Griffey are both Hall of Famers and considered two of the greatest players in baseball history, so Raleigh is keeping quite the company. If he hits six more home runs in Seattle’s final 11 games, he would also tie Aaron Judge’s American League record for long balls in a season.
The New York Yankees star launched 62 during the 2022 campaign.
That would be quite the boost in the American League MVP race, which just so happens to be between Judge and Raleigh. The latter leads the league in home runs and RBI (118), but the former leads in runs scored, walks, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, total bases and wins above replacement (WAR), per Baseball Reference.
Judge and Raleigh are both in the middle of playoff races as well with the Mariners holding a narrow half-game lead over the Houston Astros in the American League West and the Yankees occupying the top AL wild-card spot.
Perhaps they will meet in the postseason as two record-holders and dominant sluggers who anchor their respective lineups.
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