KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Cal Raleigh launched home runs no. 55 and 56 on Tuesday night, surpassing Mickey mantle’s franchise record of 55 home runs set in 1961 and tying the Seattle Mariners’ single-season record. Raleigh’s two-homer performance powered the Mariners to a victory over the Kansas City Royals, maintaining their half-game lead in the American League West.
Raleigh’s power surge places him atop the major leagues with 56 home runs, three ahead of Philadelphia Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber with 12 games remaining in the regular season. The milestone is particularly notable as it comes in a season where home run numbers are down across baseball, making Raleigh’s achievement even more significant. He joins an exclusive club of power hitters, recalling seasons like Salvador Perez’s 48 home runs in 2021 and aaron Judge’s American League record-setting 62 in 2022.
“It’s really cool. I’m humbled by it. A crazy kind of thing I never thought would happen,” Raleigh said, standing inside a tunnel beneath Kauffman Stadium after his 20th career multihomer game and 10th this season. “Just taking it day-by-day, pitch-by-pitch. Really enjoying every day with these guys and just trying to finish the season strong.”
Raleigh’s first home run came off Royals starter Michael Wacha in the third inning while batting left-handed, and his second came off Daniel Lynch IV while batting right-handed – marking the fifth time in his career he has homered from both sides of the plate.
The Mariners’ win also extended their current winning streak, their longest since a 14-game run from July 2-17, 2022.Seattle’s success is crucial as they battle the Houston Astros,who defeated the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night,for the AL West title.
“I think he’s approached this from Day 1 with a ton of humility,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. “That’s the kind of person he is. You know,his desire is to win,and that’s what he wants to do here in Seattle is win. And that’s where his drive comes from. And that’s the way he has approached this whole thing. And I think, you know, Cal just continues to check off these milestones, and he does it with such a humble heart. He has handled it all so incredibly well.”
