Cal Raleigh just can’t stop hitting dingers — and making history.
The Seattle Mariners catcher had another big game on Friday, hit two home runs in the Mariners’ 12-3 win over the Detroit Tigers. Raleigh’s two homers marked his 37th and 38th of the season — with the second one being a grand slam in the top of the ninth.
The latest tallies bring Raleigh within one home run of a stunning record: If Raleigh gets another homer this weekend, he will tie Barry Bonds for the most homers (39) before the All-Star break. (Bonds set the record in 2001; however, his association with MLB’s steroids era has put an asterisk on many of his stats.)
Cal Raleigh’s two home runs tonight put him one away from tying Barry Bonds for most homers before the All-Star break 👀 https://t.co/md7sxLivHFpic.twitter.com/6k7xqET0hf
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) July 12, 2025
Raleigh has been on a tear this year, already tying his previous career high for home runs despite only being halfway through the season.
In addition, Raleigh is one of few high-performing switch hitters in the league, and has hit a number of extra records as a result of that. Last month, the catcher became the first switch hitter to hit 30 homers before the All-Star break.
Saturday’s two-HR game, Raleigh’s eighth multi-home run game this season, has him tie Mickey Mantle for most by a switch hitter in a season. Mantle set the record in 1961, which is impressive. But more importantly, Raleigh still has 68 games this season to unseat Mantle — and possibly keep going.
Most Multi-HR games in a season for a switch-hitter in MLB history:
1. Cal Raleigh 8 (2025)
1. Mickey Mantle 8 (1961)— Gary Hill Jr. (@GaryHillJr) July 12, 2025
Raleigh has been well-rewarded as a result of his home run heroics: The catcher will be participating in his first All-Star Game and his first Home Run Derby next week. Now, though, he will have two more games against the Tigers to shoot for Bonds’ record — and beyond.
Long-term, Raleigh will be shooting for MLB’s home run title. He currently leads Aaron Judge, who is in second with 34 home runs, by four homers; Shohei Ohtani is next on the list with 31.