Mariners Make Historic Cal Raleigh Announcement During Cubs Game originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Seattle Mariners have experienced an up-and-down season thus far, as they currently hold a 37-36 record while sitting five games behind the Houston Astros in the highly competitive AL West.
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Since June 8, the pitching staff has been a force to be reckoned with, posting an ERA of 3.43 across a ten-game stretch and a strikeout rate of 9.47 K/9—a performance that ranks them fifth in MLB.
Despite a breakout campaign from switch-hitting catcher Cal Raleigh, the team has struggled to find consistent production, managing to average only 3.8 runs per game during the same ten-game span, a full half run lower than the team’s average of 4.3 runs per game—13th in MLB.
Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29)© Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images
In the midst of these offensive struggles, Raleigh has remained a singular bright spot, quickly establishing himself as one of the premier hitters in the league. During Friday’s game against the Chicago Cubs, he launched another home run, leading to a historic announcement from the team.
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“Cal Raleigh has tied Hall of Famer Johnny Bench (1970) for most home runs (28) by a catcher before the All-Star Break in MLB history,” the Mariners wrote.
Johnny Bench, revered as one of the greatest catchers in baseball history, concluded his illustrious career by compiling 389 home runs, 1,376 RBIs, and maintaining a lifetime batting average of .267, while earning an incredible fourteen All-Star selections, two National League MVP awards, and ten Gold Glove honors.
In contrast, Raleigh has quickly become an indispensable asset for the Mariners this season, having appeared in 73 games contributing 3.7 WAR, registering an OPS of 1.011 and producing 60 RBIs—tied for first all of baseball with Aaron Judge.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 20, 2025, where it first appeared.