It has been a special season for Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, and the All-Star slugger has caught fire as his team is gearing up for a Postseason run.
Raleigh tied Mickey Mantle's season record for most home runs by a switch hitter with his 54th long ball as the Seattle Mariners defeated the Los Angeles Angels 11-2 on Sunday. His homer was also his record-setting 43rd of the campaign as a catcher.
Despite his torrid season, the 28-year-old is not concentrated on personal achievements.
“You know, in today's age it's hard not to go on your phone and people are talking about it, texting you about it,” Raleigh told ESPN. “I'm trying to do my best to block that out. I'm glad that we have something bigger to work towards.”
Seattle moved one game ahead of the Houston Astros in the American League West standings with the victory. It was their ninth win in a row.
Raleigh is now two home runs away from tying the Mariners' single-season record held by Ken Griffey Jr.. While he has an appreciation for the records he has set, the North Carolina native is not solely focused on hitting home runs.
“I don't mean to downplay [the record] at all; it's a very awesome and meaningful thing,” Raleigh told reporters. “… But I'm not trying to go out there and try to hit homers or trying to break a certain record or anything. I'm just trying to help the team out any way I can.”
It is unlikely that the Mariners would be where they are without Raleigh’s massive year, and his humility has made him a clubhouse favorite.
“To do what he has done offensively, to do what he does defensively, to do what he does with our pitching staff, you just marvel at all the things that he's accomplishing,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. “On top of that, making history, and just in a very humble way, that's the kind of guy he is. He just wants to win, and that's where it all comes from. That's the driver.”
