It isn’t hyperbole to say Cal Raleigh is doing things we’ve never seen in baseball. His 2025 campaign has been a record-breaking one, and his league-leading 40th home run, a majestic 416-foot shot that came during Seattle’s 7-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday, earned the Mariners’ catcher another spot in the history books.
Raleigh has the chance to not only crush the record for homers in a season by a catcher set by Salvador Perez with 48 in 2021, but he is also on pace to equal Aaron Judge’s single-season record for most bombs in American League history with 62, set in 2022. Judge won his first MVP that year.
“I mean, in the grand scheme of things, not much right now,” Raleigh said about the accomplishment at Angel Stadium. “I mean, it’s a cool milestone to hit, and I’m very thankful for it. It’s a cool moment for sure. When I hit 30, that was cool. And 40 is definitely very cool as well. I’m not trying to downplay it, but I’m glad we got the win tonight.”
Raleigh is now the seventh catcher in MLB history to reach the 40-homer mark in one campaign, joining Johnny Bench, Mike Piazza and Perez, among others.
CRUSHED 💥
Cal Raleigh evaporated this baseball 416 feet for his 40th home run of the season! pic.twitter.com/HDO2goW4QX
— MLB (@MLB) July 27, 2025
Raleigh, who became the first catcher to win the MLB Home Run Derby in the 40-year history of the event, has been authoring a special year. Here are some of his most memorable home run swings, ones that hold historic significance.
No. 39: July 22
Catchers have arguably the most demanding job in baseball. Between managing a pitching staff and working on the nuances of being behind the plate, they also have to juggle offensive responsibilities.
That’s what makes Raleigh so impressive. And home run No. 39 encompassed all of that in a way that nobody else ever had. With that blast, Raleigh became the first player in MLB history to homer in a 1-0 victory and catch a shutout with two or fewer hits and a dozen or more strikeouts in the same game.
No. 38: July 12
Raleigh’s final blast before the All-Star break gave him the most homers before the break in AL history (the record was previously set by the Baltimore Orioles’ Chris Davis with 37 in 2013). It also gave him the second-most in MLB history before that point in a season, trailing only Barry Bonds’ 39 home runs for the San Francisco Giants in 2001.
CAL RALEIGH
GRAND SLAM
HOMER NO. 38 pic.twitter.com/dlbEjAGU87— MLB (@MLB) July 12, 2025
No. 30: June 21
No. 30 cemented Raleigh’s place in history as having one of the best switch-hitting seasons of all time. He passed Mickey Mantle, José Ramírez and Lance Berkman for the most home runs by a switch hitter before the All-Star break.
No. 29: June 20
Raleigh’s 29th homer, which gave him his sixth game this year with more than one, moved him ahead of Bench’s record for most home runs by a catcher before the All-Star break. The record at the time was 28 bombs — and it stood for over 50 years before Raleigh broke it. That’s a mark even Raleigh’s father couldn’t believe.
No. 7: April 16
In Raleigh’s fourth year as an everyday catcher for Seattle, he reached the 100 career home run mark on his seventh round-tripper of the season.
Bonus: A trip down memory lane
The Mariners entered their game one game behind Judge’s New York Yankees for the first wild-card spot in the playoff hunt. The Big Dumper’s continued power from the plate will surely be a key part of whether they stay in that race.
He has previous experience on that front. In 2022, he was once thrust into a late-season contest with the team’s playoff hopes in the balance.
In arguably the biggest moment of his career to that point, Raleigh was called to pinch hit for the Mariners in a 1-1 game against the A’s. In the bottom of the ninth, on a full-count and with two outs, the catcher crushed a walk-off homer that sent Seattle to the playoffs for the first time in 21 years.
While Raleigh might not be called upon to deliver a blast to get them into the playoffs this year, he’s shown that he is more than capable of providing clutch hits. The Mariners’ plans to play deep into October may very well hinge on Raleigh’s ability to continue hitting bombs beyond the regular season.
SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE.
THE MARINERS END THEIR POSTSEASON DROUGHT WITH A WALK-OFF HOME RUN. pic.twitter.com/qcDM5JG1xx
— MLB (@MLB) October 1, 2022
(Photo of Raleigh after his 39th homer secured a Mariners win: Alika Jenner / Getty Images)
