Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) hits a three-run home run in the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium on June 7. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Seattle Mariners' Cal Raleigh Making History on Par with Hall of Famers, and Barry Bonds

Originally posted on Seattle Mariners on SI
By Brady Farkas | Last updated Jun 8, 2025 12:15 PM ET

The Seattle Mariners lost 8-6 to the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night, but that didn't stop catcher Cal Raleigh from making even more baseball history.

The "Big Dumper" went 2-for-5 with two home runs and four RBIs, upping his major-league lead to 26 dingers through just 63 games.

Per @OptaSTATS on social media:

Earliest date reaching 25 HR, MLB history:

May 24 - Barry Bonds, 2001
May 25 - Mark McGwire, 1998
May 29 - Albert Pujols, 2006
June 2 - Ken Griffey Jr., 1997
June 6 - Barry Bonds, 2000
June 7 - Cal Raleigh, 2025

Earliest date reaching 25 HR, MLB history:

May 24 - Barry Bonds, 2001
May 25 - Mark McGwire, 1998
May 29 - Albert Pujols, 2006
June 2 - Ken Griffey Jr., 1997
June 6 - Barry Bonds, 2000
June 7 - Cal Raleigh, 2025 pic.twitter.com/SA7QOQF1sC
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) June 8, 2025

And from Sarah Langs of MLB.com:

Most homers by primary catcher before All-Star break:

1970 Johnny Bench: 28 (87 games played)
2025 Cal Raleigh: 26 (63)
2000 Ivan Rodriguez: 26 (80)

Most homers by primary catcher before All-Star break:

1970 Johnny Bench: 28 (87 games played)
2025 Cal Raleigh: 26 (63)
2000 Ivan Rodriguez: 26 (80) https://t.co/rdl5XECqJy
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) June 8, 2025

It's been an incredible season for Raleigh, who has morphed into the best catcher in the league. In addition to his power numbers, he's also hitting .272. He's on track to make (and likely start) his first All-Star Game and he could very well be the selection for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic next year.

Despite his greatness, the Mariners have struggled immensely over the last month and change. They've lost 12 of their last 17 games and have fallen to 3.5 games back of the Houston Astros in the American League West.

They'll be back in action on Sunday afternoon when they take on the Angels again at 1:07 p.m. PT. George Kirby, who has gone 0-3 since returning from the injured list, will pitch against Tyler Anderson, who is a former Mariner.

This article first appeared on Seattle Mariners on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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