Cal Raleigh Breaks Mantle's Switch-Hitter Home-Run Record in Two-Homer Night
Mariners catcher slugs his 55th and 56th homers, ties franchise single-season mark, and fuels AL MVP discussions in a 12-5 win over the Royals.
SEATTLE — Cal Raleigh hit his 55th and 56th home runs of the season, becoming the first switch-hitter to break Mickey Mantle's single-season record, as the Seattle Mariners defeated the Kansas City Royals 12-5 on Tuesday at Kauffman Stadium. Raleigh, 28, delivered the milestone blasts in a game that kept Seattle in the thick of the American League pennant race and helped solidify his place among the league's top power hitters this season.
Raleigh’s day featured a left-handed blast for his 55th, launched in the third inning off Royals starter Michael Wacha on a 79-mph curveball to push Seattle ahead 4-0. His 56th came in the fourth inning, this time from the right side, when he lined Daniel Lynch IV's changeup over the center-field wall for a 9-0 advantage. Raleigh noted the moment in the Mariners’ clubhouse tunnel after the game, saying, "It's really cool. I'm humbled by it. A crazy kind of thing I never thought would happen." it was his 20th career multi-homer game and his 10th this season.
The two-home-run performance vaulted Raleigh into a place alongside Mariners great Ken Griffey Jr. for the club's single-season home-run record, tying Griffey’s 56-homer mark. The feat also spotlighted Raleigh in the broader AL MVP discussion, as he and New York Yankees star Aaron Judge have emerged as the leading contenders in a season where Seattle has leaned on its offense to complement solid pitching.
Raleigh finished the day with a .247 batting average, 118 RBIs and 14 stolen bases to accompany his 56 homers. Judge’s ongoing chase in New York has kept the MVP race in the spotlight, but Raleigh’s production has positioned him as a serious challenger in the eyes of analysts and fans alike.
The Mariners (83-68) hold a slim half-game lead in the American League West over the Houston Astros (83-69) entering the second game of the three-game series against Kansas City. The club will try to extend its edge in the division when the series resumes at 7:40 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
