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4w ago

Cal Raleigh Breaks Johnny Bench’s Catcher Home Run Record Before All-Star Break

Reaching 29 homers in 73 games—14 fewer than Bench—Raleigh leads MLB in home runs with a pace that could eclipse Salvador Perez’s single-season catcher record.

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Jun 20, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) celebrates in the dugout after hitting a two run home run against the Chicago Cubs during the seventh inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images
Jun 20, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) celebrates in the dugout after hitting a two run home run against the Chicago Cubs during the seventh inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images

Overview

  • On June 20 at Wrigley Field, Raleigh hit two homers in the Mariners’ 9-4 win over the Cubs, raising his season total to 29 and breaking the previous catcher pre–All-Star break record.
  • His 29 home runs lead MLB by three over Aaron Judge and four over Shohei Ohtani as the league’s top slugger.
  • The pace equates to approximately 63 long balls for the season, which would surpass Salvador Perez’s single-season catcher record and approach Mickey Mantle’s switch-hitter mark.
  • Raleigh’s six multi-homer games this season tie Mike Piazza’s 1995 total for the second-most by a catcher in a single campaign.
  • Johnny Bench lauded Raleigh’s power and all-around skills, calling it special to be mentioned in the same sentence as one of the game’s greats.