Mariners slugger passes MLB legend as he continues historic pace  

And that's not all. 

Raleigh is now the fourth player (and first catcher) since 1933 to have at least 36 home runs and at least 75 RBI before the All-Star break, joining Reggie Jackson (1969), Mark McGwire (1998) and Chris Davis (2013).

Further putting his torrid pace in perspective, Raleigh is now just four behind Barry Bonds' record for most before the All-Star break. Bonds crushed 39 in 2001 before eventually becoming the new single-season king with 73.  

Raleigh currently leads the majors in home runs, is hitting .268 and has 76 RBI in 328 at-bats. He also has a .383 on-base percentage, a .646 slug and an OPS of 1.029. 

Of course, how Raleigh performs after the All-Star Game and how he finishes the season will be what matters the most. Nothing is guaranteed, but barring health, the odds are on Raleigh's side. 

Only nine catchers have ever slugged 36 or more home runs in a season. Kansas City Royals star Salvador Perez recently achieved the record for the most by a catcher in a season with 48 in 2021. 

Raleigh reached 36 on Tuesday. 

While Griffey Jr. accomplished his second consecutive 50-homer season in 1998, becoming the first player to ever get to that mark in multiple Gold Glove seasons, he did fade down the stretch and had to settle for 56 instead of pursuing the single-season record alongside Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa. 

That 56 number is what Raleigh is now shooting for as far as the most ever hit by a Mariner. 

Being a catcher creates an extra tax on Raleigh's body that makes withstanding enough games to get to 50 and beyond difficult, but based on the historic nature of his first half, Raleigh has even more history in front of him throughout the rest of the summer. 

The question now becomes — how many will Raleigh have end of the year? Will he pass Griffey Jr. again for the Mariners record? 

Even if he doesn't get to Griffey Jr., will he set a new standard for catchers, or can he do the unthinkable and become baseball's new single-season home run king, exceeding legendary names like Babe Ruth and Roger Maris before getting by Bonds? 

Add in the fact that Raleigh is doing this without the cloud of performance-enhancing drug suspicions that loom over Bonds, McGwire and Sosa, and that's further proof we are witnessing history to cherish forever.