The Seattle Mariners lost to the Chicago Cubs 10-7 on Saturday at Wrigley Field. Dan Wilson's team failed to complete their comeback, allowing the Cubs to even up the season series. On a day where the home plate umpire needed to be taken into the Mariners' dugout because of the heat, Cal Raleigh struggled to catch fire until the ninth inning.
Raleigh is in the middle of one of the greatest offensive seasons ever seen from a catcher. He recently broke Johnny Bench's record for most home runs hit before the All-Star break by a catcher. His 363-foot solo shot in the final frame of the game broke yet another record, according to MLB.com reporter Daniel Kramer.
Cal Raleigh has his THIRD consecutive 30-HR season!
It's June 21st 🤯 pic.twitter.com/WGpZLvoFlv
— MLB (@MLB) June 21, 2025
Raleigh's home run was his 30th of the season, the most before the All-Star break by a switch-hitter. His bomb gave him his third straight season with at least 30 home runs. The big difference between this year on the last two? The 28-year-old reached the mark months sooner than he ever has before.
Article Continues BelowFans around the league wonder how Raleigh has put together such a dominant campaign. Some fans believe that the new torpedo bats have helped Seattle's catcher hit with enough power to have him leading the league in home runs.
After the baseball world realized that Raleigh's hot start is here to stay, he quickly became an American League MVP candidate. As of June 21, Raleigh is second amongst all players in Fox Sports' MVP odds. New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge is the only player in front of him.
Raleigh signed a contract extension before the season began. Three months into the best season of his career, the Mariners are happy that their catcher signed his deal then.
Raleigh, Julio Rodriguez, and Randy Arozarena have some work to do in the AL West. They are a handful of games behind the Houston Astros for the lead in the division. If Raleigh continues to break records, Seattle is well on their way back to the top.