Cal Raleigh joins Ken Griffey Jr. as the second Seattle Mariner to hit 50 home runs.

Cal Raleigh is on a roll; only a day earlier, he launched two impressive home runs, taking the lead for most home runs in a single season by a starting catcher. Following that, during the Mariners' 9-6 win against the Padres, he added to his tally with his 50th homer in the first inning.

Raleigh battled left-hander JP Sears through an eight-pitch duel, and after working a full count, he smashed a 92.9 mph low and inside fastball, sending the ball 419 feet into the second-tier stands of the home ballpark.

Raleigh is now just four home runs shy of tying the record for most homers by a switch hitter, set by Mickey Mantle in 1961, and six short of matching the Mariners' franchise record held by Ken Griffey Jr. from 1997 and 1998. Alongside Griffey, he is one of only two players in team history to reach 50 home runs in a season.

Before Raleigh’s homer today, only 33 players in MLB history had reached the 50-home run milestone 50 times. He is the first player in 2025 to achieve this mark, extending the league-leading advantage he has held for most of the season, currently five homers ahead of Shohei Ohtani and Kyle Schwarber, who are tied for second.

Based on his current home run pace, Raleigh is projected to finish the season with 61 homers, just one short of the American League record set by Aaron Judge in 2022. Since Sammy Sosa hit 66 and Barry Bonds set the all-time record with 73 in 2001, Judge is the only player to surpass 60 home runs in a season. Overall, only nine times (by six players) has the 60-home run threshold been exceeded in a single season.

A notable aspect of today’s long ball is that Raleigh was playing as the designated hitter, marking his 10th home run in that role, in addition to the 40 he has hit while catching. The record for most home runs in a single season by a primary catcher playing behind the plate is 42, set by Javy Lopez of the Atlanta Braves in 2003.