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Once again, catcher Cal Raleigh spurred the Seattle Mariners to another win on Friday. The 12-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers on the road must have been especially sweet considering the Mariners were able to inflict a lot of damage on reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal. Raleigh discussed the latest bit of history he accomplished as well, as his 38th home run of the season set the American League record for home runs before the All-Star Break.
“I don't really have words for it, I guess. I’m just very grateful and thankful,” said Raleigh, who will compete in the T-Mobile Home Run Derby on Monday, to Klemish and MLB.com. “I’m just trying to stay consistent in what I do and just try to keep it rolling.”
The previous record of 37 was held by former Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis, set in 2013. Raleigh tied it with his first home run of the night, blasting a shot into the left center field seats in the eighth inning. His record-breaking moonshot happened an inning later, when the Seattle catcher hit a 405-foot shot into left field for a grand slam. It was the final nail in the coffin for the Tigers, who still hold the top spot in the AL Central. Can the Mariners also solidify their playoff spot as the All-Star Break quickly approaches?
Can Cal Raleigh's historic Mariners run help him capture MVP award?
Currently a half game out of the final AL Wild Card spot, the Mariners still have a lot of work to do in order to get back to October. Although Raleigh is certainly having one of the best offensive seasons in recent memory, it still falls short in many aspects to New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge's campaign. Furthermore, the slugger is fresh off his AL MVP season last season, which just highlights the historic offensive run of his own as well.
Nevertheless, Raleigh's display has certainly been a standout one. He's a major reason why the team is even in the playoff hunt. Over the past few years, an excellent pitching staff has carried a lackluster offense. Seattle's franchise backstop has continued to improve during this period for the team and is now the main anchor in their lineup. Will Raleigh and his teammates get the help they need in order to make a playoff run?
