Because Aaron Judge has posted one of the best first-thirds of any MLB season ever, Cal Raleigh is not garnering as much attention as he deserves for his own terrific 60-plus-game sample size. The Seattle Mariners catcher continues to defy logic, displaying elite power at a position that can absolutely punish the body. He was at it again on Saturday.
Raleigh hit a three-run home run off Los Angeles Angels pitcher Jack Kochanowicz in the first inning, via Talkin’ Baseball, setting the tone for the slumping M’s. He now has an MLB-leading 25 dingers, two more than Shohei Ohtani and four more than Judge. Reaching that mark in early June is outstanding no matter the circumstances, but the fact that Raleigh has achieved the feat while also working behind the plate 49 games is truly incredible.
Salvador Perez holds the record for most single-season homers by a catcher, going yard 48 times for the Kansas City Royals in 2021. Assuming Seattle’s premier slugger stays healthy, he should theoretically surpass that magic number. He is not a one-trick pony, however.
Cal Raleigh is INSANE pic.twitter.com/NUqEL2X6aH
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 8, 2025
Cal Raleigh is keeping the Mariners afloat
Raleigh also had a .268 batting average and .377 on-base percentage entering Saturday’s game, which is especially impressive for someone who has been a one-dimensional offensive contributor in his career. He is also impacting the action with his mitt. The 2024 Gold Glover is tied for eighth in catcher framing runs (2), a quality that Seattle’s pitching staff surely appreciates.
Beyond how impressive his overall body of work is, Raleigh is a huge reason why the Mariners are even above .500 (32-30). Offensive inconsistency and pitching injuries are severely hampering this ballclub. If the 28-year-old can stay hot at least until ace Logan Gilbert returns to action, then perhaps Seattle can recapture first place in the American League West.
But for now, Cal Raleigh is the main selling point in another uneven Mariners season. The M’s trail the Angels 5-4 at time of print, so the Big Dumper might have to unleash his fury one more time if the team hopes to end its four-game losing streak.
The post Mariners’ Cal Raleigh blasts home run No. 25 vs. Angels appeared first on ClutchPoints.
