SEATTLE (AP) — Cal Raleigh hit his MLB-leading 59th homer on Wednesday night, a solo shot for the Seattle Mariners in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies.
Raleigh, batting left-handed, connected
off Tanner Gordon for his home run to right field that reached the top deck at T-Mobile Park.
With four games remaining in the Mariners’ regular season, Raleigh has a chance to pass Yankees star Aaron Judge for the American League single-season home run record. Judge hit 62 home runs in 2022 to break the previous record set by Roger Maris, which stood since 1961.
Raleigh’s shot came just four days after he passed Ken Griffey Jr. for the franchise’s single-season home run record with his 57th homer. Griffey hit 56 in both 1997 and 1998.
Raleigh has also surpassed Mickey Mantle’s previous MLB record of 54 home runs by a switch-hitter that had stood since 1961. He also set the MLB record for homers by a catcher this season, eclipsing the 48 hit by Salvador Perez in 2021.
Raleigh is three home runs ahead of Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber and six home runs ahead of Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
