Cal Raleigh Can't Be Stopped, And He's On Pace To Break Some Historic Records

It wouldn't be entirely unexpected to see one of baseball's elite power hitters challenge for all-time home run records in 2025, with "elevate and celebrate" being an oft-repeated motto.

Shohei Ohtani, who hit 54 home runs in 2024. Aaron Judge, the current American League single-season home run leader with 62 in 2022, then followed it up with 58 in 2024. Maybe a healthy Giancarlo Stanton, who hit 59 homers in 2017. Or the highest paid player in baseball, Juan Soto. 

But none of those players are on the torrid pace of…Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh? Heard of Cal Raleigh? The guy nicknamed "Big Dumper?" Well, if you haven't, you should get used to hearing his name, because he's on a run of power the likes of which we've almost never seen. 

READ: Aaron Judge's Home Run Record Could Fall This Year, To The...Mariners Catcher?

And that's not an exaggeration.

CHICAGO - Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh tosses his bat after striking out against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning at Wrigley Field on June 21, 2025. Photo: David Banks-Imagn Images

Cal Raleigh Has Been Out Of Control For Seattle

Raleigh on Monday night hit his 32nd home run of the season against the Minnesota Twins. On June 23rd. 

His career high in home runs, set in 2024, was 34. He's two away from equaling that. In June. 

But to put this power surge in some historic context, the most home runs hit by a single player in 77 team games is 33. Set by literally Babe Ruth. That's not all; the record for most home runs hit before the All-Star break is 39, set by Barry Bonds back in 2001. That's the year Bonds went on to hit 73, shattering the all-time single-season record. 

And he was on steroids.

Raleigh and the Mariners have 19 games remaining before the start of the All-Star Break. Given that Raleigh has averaged a home run every 2.4 games, he's on pace to hit roughly eight more by mid-July. That would put him at 40, breaking Bonds' record.

He's also currently on pace to hit 67 over a full season, which would fly past Judge's 62 for the most ever in the American League. To say nobody expected this at the start of the 2025 Major League Baseball season would be a dramatic understatement. There's a long way to go, but what Raleigh's doing right now is almost unprecedented, and very well could be completely unprecedented in a matter of weeks.

Raleigh's always had power; he hit 91 home runs over the past three seasons combined. But this year he's taken it to a whole new level. A level that would be stunning for anyone playing any position. But he's putting on this power display as one of the best defensive catchers in baseball, per Fangraphs. 

Catcher is by far the most demanding position on the field, and Raleigh is averaging a home run every 8.8 at bats. It's hard to imagine, yet Raleigh just has not stopped hitting homers. Entering Tuesday, he's homered in four games in a row, including two on June 20 against the Cubs at Wrigley. 

He's hit 10 homers already this month, and there's a week to go. It's incredible.

We're rapidly approaching the time where Raleigh's at-bats become must-see TV, and he plays half his games in one of the best pitcher's parks in baseball. And he's doing it without the benefit of steroids. If he played in LA or New York, this would be front page news, or front social media page news, every single day. It should be anyway.