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Cal Raleigh Makes MLB History During Mariners-Twins on Friday
Cal Raleigh Makes MLB History During Mariners-Twins on Friday originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh is having a month to remember.
Friday night, from Seattle's T-Mobile Park, the fifth-year backstop added to his epic month by accomplishing something no other catcher has in MLB History.
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With a 356-foot home run off Twins starter Zebby Matthews in the Bottom of the first, Raleigh became the first catcher in MLB history to reach 20 home runs before the end of May.
Raleigh's three-run blast gave the Mariners an early 3-0 lead, but the 28-year-old wasn't done there.
In the Bottom of the eighth, Raleigh added to his home run total with a two-run shot to right field off Twin's reliever Cole Sands. The 380-foot blast gave the Mariners a 6-3 lead, which they would relinquish in the ninth inning, eventually losing to the Twins 12-6 in extra innings.
The home runs were Raleigh's No. 10 and 11 of the month, the second most in May behind Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, who leads MLB with 15 home runs this month.
Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) hits a two-run home run against the Minnesota TwinsJoe Nicholson-Imagn Images
On the season, Raleigh is slashing .265/.381/.623 with 21 home runs, 42 RBIs and an eye-popping OPS of 1.004.
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He's on pace to hit 57 home runs this season, which would not only be a career-best, but shatter the MLB single-season record for home runs by a catcher, held by Kansas City Royals' Salvador Perez who hit 48 in 2021.
A third-round draft pick by the Mariners in 2018, Raleigh made his MLB debut on July 11, 2021. Since then, he's slugged 114 career home runs. Hall of famer Mike Piazza holds the record for most career home runs by a catcher with 399.
Raleigh still has one more game to add to his monthly total as the Mariners take on the Twins Saturday night from T-Mobile. First pitch is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. ET.
Related: Umpire Facing Major Backlash After Terrible Call in Mariners Game
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on May 31, 2025, where it first appeared.
