The Seattle Mariners’ Cal Raleigh did it again.
On Saturday, Raleigh hit his 30th home run of the season, giving him the most homers by a switch hitter before MLB’s All-Star break.
Raleigh’s blast came off Chicago Cubs reliever Daniel Palencia to start the ninth inning. This came after he hit two homers Friday against the Cubs to break the previous record for the most home runs by a catcher before the All-Star break, which was set by Hall of Famer Johnny Bench in 1970.
Raleigh’s journey to greatness is not over yet. He now stands alongside Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. as the second Mariners player to hit 30 home runs before the All-Star break. With his fantastic season, the potential for Raleigh to surpass Mickey Mantle’s record of 54 home runs by a switch hitter, set in 1961, is definitely within reach.
Cal Raleigh stats
- Batting average: .272
- On-base percentage: .377
- Slugging percentage: .649
- Home runs: 30
- RBI: 64
- OPS: 1.026
MLB home run leaders
- Cal Raleigh, Mariners – 30
- Aaron Judge, Yankees – 27
- Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers – 25
- Eugenio Suarez, Diamondbacks – 24
- Kyle Schwarber, Phillies – 23
- Pete Crow-Armstrong, Cubs – 21
When do Mariners play next?
The Mariners will face the Cubs again at Wrigley Field on Sunday, June 22 at 2:20 p.m. ET.