The New York Yankees and their fans watched what seemed like an unbreakable milestone fall during a high-stakes battle between two other American League contenders. In Game 7 of the ALCS, Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners launched his 65th total home run of 2025, surpassing the 64 combined regular season and postseason homers hit by Aaron Judge in 2022.
The moment unfolded in the top of the fifth inning when the Mariners catcher turned on a 1-0 pitch and sent it deep to right, temporarily giving Seattle a 3-1 edge over the Toronto Blue Jays. The blast added historical weight to an already pressure-filled night, making him the new AL leader for most total homers in a single year. No catcher in league history had ever reached the 60 mark before.
StatMuse highlighted the milestone with a post that quickly gained traction online. On X (formerly known as Twitter), StatMuse posted a graphic comparing both players and their historic home run totals.
“Most HR in a year by an AL player (regular season + postseason):
65 — Cal Raleigh (2025)
64 — Aaron Judge (2022)”
The home run from the switch-hitting catcher ignited conversation across baseball circles. While the number won’t be recorded as an official MLB record, it speaks to his endurance, clutch production, and rise as one of the league’s most powerful hitters.
But the celebration was short-lived.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, George Springer crushed a go-ahead three-run homer that erased Seattle’s lead and secured a 4-3 comeback win for Toronto — the same team that ended New York’s season. The Mariners vs. Blue Jays showdown turned from triumph to heartbreak in just two innings.
For Yankees fans, Judge’s 2022 season remains legendary — 62 homers in the regular season, 2 more in October, and a .311 average that earned him MVP honors. But Raleigh’s combined power puts him in rare company, even if the record carries a postseason asterisk.
As the Blue Jays head to their first World Series since 1993, Raleigh's big moment becomes part of a bittersweet chapter — one where history was made, but not remembered for the right reasons.
