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Cal Raleigh continues historic season with two more home runs
Seattle Mariners designated hitter Cal Raleigh. Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

Mariners' Cal Raleigh continues historic season with two more home runs

Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh just keeps on dumping baseballs over the wall. He continued his MVP-worthy season on Friday afternoon by hitting two home runs in the Mariners' 6-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates, giving him an MLB-leading 35 on the season. 

That total not only leads the majors, but it already establishes a single-season career-high despite the fact the season is not even at the All-Star break.

His home run total has increased in each of the past four seasons, and he is on pace to shatter his previous personal best.

Here are his two home runs from Friday, including an absolute monster home run in the bottom of the first inning to give the Mariners a 2-0 lead.

He followed that with a solo home run later in the game to establish what is (for now) a career-high. 

He is also now tied with Ken Griffey Jr. for the franchise record for the most home runs prior to the All-Star Break.

Raleigh is not only having the best season of his career, and one of the best seasons ever for a Mariners hitter, he is having one of the best offensive seasons ever for a catcher. 

His 1.027 OPS is second in the majors behind only Aaron Judge, while he has three home runs and three RBI clear of Judge in the counting stats.

The American League MVP race is pretty much a two-horse race between those two. Judge has the slash line advantage due to his average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS, but Raleigh currently has the counting stat edge while also playing one of the most important defensive positions on the field (catcher). It is going to be a fascinating race. 

Adam Gretz

Adam Gretz is a freelance writer based in Pittsburgh. He covers the NHL, NFL, MLB and NBA. Baseball is his favorite sport -- he is nearly halfway through his goal of seeing a game in every MLB ballpark. Catch him on Twitter @AGretz

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