The Seattle Mariners are fighting for a wild card spot right now, and Cal Raleigh is a huge part of that. He is having a historic season and just joined Barry Bonds in an exclusive club.
The Seattle Mariners are fighting for a wild card spot right now, and Cal Raleigh is a huge part of that. He is having a historic season and just joined Barry Bonds in an exclusive club.
The most home runs ever by a catcher in a single season was Salvador Perez in 2021 with 48 homers. Raleigh hit his 37th and 38th home runs of the season in just game No. 94. His 38th home run made him the only player besides Barry Bonds to hit 38 home runs before the All-Star Break, according to MLB insider Bob Nightengale.
Bonds hit 39 home runs before the All-Star Break during his 2001 MVP season. That was the first of four consecutive MVP seasons by Bonds. Raleigh is still seemingly second to Aaron Judge in the American League MVP race, but he is not going down without a fight. Raleigh has two more games to catch Bonds, or even pass him, for the first-half home run record.
Raleigh signed a six-year, $105 million deal before the season started. He is living up to his contract and was named an All-Star this year. He is a legitimate threat to win the AL MVP Award this year.
His season is shaping up to be a historic one among catchers, but to be in a club where the only other member is Barry Bonds is something special.
On the season, Raleigh is slashing .264/.377/.645. His 38 home runs are a new career high. He has hit at least 30 home runs in three consecutive seasons. He hit 27 home runs in 2022 as well. Bonds' 39 home runs in the first half were just the start of what became a historic season. Bonds hit 73 home runs in 2001, the all-time single-season record.
Category: Baseball
