Cal Raleigh hits 48th, 49th home runs of season to set new MLB record for catchers
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - AUGUST 24: Cal Raleigh #29 of the Seattle Mariners hits his 49th home run of the season setting the record for most home runs during a single season by a catcher during the second inning against the Athletics at T-Mobile Park on (Olivia Vanni / Getty Images)
SEATTLE - Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh is officially alone atop the MLB record books.
Raleigh homered in each of his first two at-bats Sunday afternoon against Jacob Lopez and the Sacramento Athletics to catch and surpass Salvador Perez for the most home runs in a single season by a primary catcher in MLB history.
Raleigh's first-inning blast against Lopez pulled Raleigh even with Perez for the all-time record. Perez had 48 home runs for the Kansas City Royals in 2021 to set the prior record for most by a catcher. Perez's season surpassed the 45 home runs of Cincinnati Reds Hall of Famer Johnny Bench in 1970.
Raleigh has now hit 40 home runs this season in games when playing catcher. Javy Lopez holds the record for most home runs while playing catcher in a single season with 42 for the Atlanta Braves in 2003.
It's also the ninth multi-home run game this season for Raleigh, which moves him past Ken Griffey Jr. for the most multi-home run games in a single season. Griffey had eight such games in 1997.
Additionally, it moves Raleigh past Mickey Mantle of the New York Yankees for the most multi-home run games by a switch hitter. Mantle had eight multi-homer games in 1961.
Raleigh has accomplished all of these accolades with still five weeks remaining in the season.
The Source: Information in this story came from FOX 13 Seattle.
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