Cal Raleigh continued his impressive performance for the Seattle Mariners, extending his Major League Baseball home run lead by belting his 34th and 35th homers during a commanding 6-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. This marks a notable achievement for Raleigh, who won the fan vote to become the American League’s starting catcher for the MLB All-Star Game and will be competing in the Home Run Derby.
Raleigh showcased his power both in the first and sixth innings, sending a fastball from pitcher Bailey Falter into T-Mobile Park’s left-field seats. His first home run, clocked at 115.2 mph, is now recorded as the hardest hit ball of his career and traveled an impressive 433 feet. This remarkable performance not only ties him with Mariners legend Ken Griffey Jr. for the most home runs in franchise history prior to the All-Star break but also places him in a rare category among the top hitters in MLB history, with only a handful of players having achieved similar feats.
This season, Raleigh has successfully matched his total home run count from last year by the Fourth of July, with eight games remaining before the All-Star break. His two home runs on Friday are part of a larger pattern of excellence; he has recorded multiple homers in seven games this season, a feat that only a few players have matched before the midseason hiatus. Moreover, with 74 runs batted in, he is tied for the MLB lead, demonstrating his dual threat as both a power hitter and a run producer.
Raleigh’s slugging percentage of .650 and an OPS of 1.030 further solidify his standing among the league’s elite hitters, trailing only Aaron Judge. With the potential for more games to add to his impressive tally, Raleigh’s performance promises exciting developments for the Mariners and fans alike as they approach the All-Star break.
As his season progresses, Raleigh not only continues to leave a mark on the Mariner’s record books but also inspires hope for a bright future for the team.