Seattle Mariners backstop Cal Raleigh made history on Sunday, setting the single-season home run record for primary catchers by hitting his 48th and 49th long balls of the year. It didn’t take long for Raleigh to gain another entry in the record book on Monday, as he delivered his 50th home run of the year in the first inning against the San Diego Padres (GameTracker). In the process, he became the first catcher to ever clear that threshold at the big-league level.
Here’s a look at the home run, which came off Padres left-hander JP Sears:
Additionally, here’s a look at 50-homer seasons by position, per CBS Sports’ research team:
- 1B: 15
- CF: 12
- RF: 10
- LF: 8
- SS: 2
- DH: 2
- C: 1 (Raleigh)
- 3B: 1
- 2B: 0
Raleigh, 28, entered Monday hitting .247/.353/.593 (167 OPS+) with the aforementioned 49 home runs, 106 runs batted in, and 14 stolen bases. His contributions had been worth an estimated 5.7 Wins Above Replacement, according to Baseball Reference. Yet Raleigh also grades as an elite framer, suggesting that his true value is even greater than that number indicates. (FanGraphs’ WAR model, inclusive of framing, estimates he’s been worth 7.3 wins.)
Raleigh has more history within his grasp. He’s now four home runs away from tying Mickey Mantle for the most ever launched by a switch-hitter in a single season (54). Likewise, Raleigh is now six home runs away from tying Ken Griffey Jr.’s single-season franchise record. Griffey homered 56 times back in each of the 1997 and 1998 campaigns.
The Mariners will have 30 games remaining after Monday’s contest, giving Raleigh an ample runway to continue to rewrite the record books in his own image.