KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Just two days after tying Mickey Mantle for the most home runs in a single season by a switch hitter (54), Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh has reset the record. With his 55th home run of the season, Raleigh stands alone among switch hitters, topping a record that had stood since 1961.
Facing the Kansas City Royals in a critical three-game set, Raleigh unloaded his 55th homer of the year in the third inning, a 419-foot blast to right field off starter Michael Wacha.
However, Raleigh wasn’t done making history just yet. An inning later, Raleigh unloaded a two-run homer, this time from the right side of the plate, to tie Ken Griffey Jr. for the Mariners’ single-season home run record (56). Raleigh’s 56 home runs lead MLB this season.
In all, Raleigh has 35 homers from the left side and 21 from the right.
Before resetting Mantle’s switch hitter record, Raleigh had already passed Salvador Perez’s record of 48 home runs by a catcher in a single season. His 57th homer will give him one more record as the Mariners’ single-season holder.
If that already wasn’t enough history, Raleigh also became the first switch hitter to win the Home Run Derby, outlasting Junior Caminero at Atlanta’s Truist Park in July. With 11 games remaining in the Mariners’ season, Raleigh would need six home runs to match Aaron Judge’s record for most homers in a season by an American League player (62).
The Mariners went on to beat Kansas City 12-5 to remain in first place in the American League West as the Houston Astros, one-half game behind, beat Texas 6-5 to keep pace.
