Cal Raleigh’s Unexpected Power Surge: Ranking Among All-Time Surprises

  • August 25, 2025

  • David SchoenfieldAug 24, 2025, 05:30 PM ET

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    • Covers MLB for ESPN.com
    • Former deputy editor of Page 2
    • Been with ESPN.com since 1995

Seattle Mariners’ receiver Cal Raleigh launched his 48th and 49th grand slams on Sunday in successive plate appearances in the initial couple of frames versus the Athletics, surpassing Salvador Perez’s benchmark for the most grand slams in a season by a receiver.

While Raleigh’s season hasn’t precisely materialized unexpectedly — he attained 30 grand slams in the prior two years — the reality that we’re not even in September yet undoubtedly renders his power displays even more noteworthy.

In recognition of his benchmark-shattering season, let’s delve into some of the figures encompassing his 2025 campaign. And with Raleigh edging nearer to 50 grand slams, we’ll also dissect where his season positions among the most astonishing 50-grand slam seasons in MLB annals.

Thus, is this the foremost power-hitting season ever from a receiver?

If you wish to be meticulous regarding it, this is subject to debate. Akin to Perez with the Kansas City Royals in 2021, Raleigh has profited from some DH duration, with nine of his grand slams originating as a DH. Perez’s statistics were even more radical, with 15 of his 48 grand slams originating as a DH.

The benchmark for grand slams while solely performing as a receiver is held by Javy Lopez, who slammed 42 for the Atlanta Braves in 2003 in merely 117 contests (he slammed one additional as a pinch-hitter). That was an imposing season for Lopez, who batted .328/.378/.687 with a 1.065 OPS. He fell seven plate appearances shy of the 502 necessitated for official qualification, otherwise his OPS would rank as the second-highest ever for a receiver (trailing Mike Piazza’s 1.070 in 1997) and his .687 slugging as the highest ever (Piazza slugged .638 in ’97). (And we would be remiss not to cite Josh Gibson’s hitting heroics in the Negro Leagues, as he surpassed both those figures multiple instances.)

Raleigh tops the majors in grand slams, which would position him alongside Johnny Bench as the sole receiver to top the majors if he upholds his lead over Kyle Schwarber and Shohei Ohtani. Bench, who topped the majors with 45 grand slams in 1970 and 40 in 1972, participated in 158 contests in 1970 and 147 in 1972, sporadically participating in other positions when he wasn’t receiving in lieu of the option to DH.

Could any other receiver in history have slammed this many?

Lopez would have been the apparent contender. Raleigh will surge past 600 plate appearances; Lopez’s grand slam rate prorated to 625 plate appearances gets him to 54 grand slams. Piazza slammed 40 grand slams in 1997, but did bat 633 times while participating in 152 contests, thus you can’t truly fudge more than a handful of extra grand slams, even if he had more DH prospects. Roy Campanella slammed 41 for Brooklyn in 1953, batting 590 times while participating in 144 contests (although starting just 130). Bestow upon him the 162-contest schedule and some DH starts and maybe he gets close to 50. Todd Hundley is the sole other receiver with a 40-grand slam season, slamming 41 for the 1996 New York Mets in 624 plate appearances.

While Raleigh has decelerated since the All-Star intermission, particularly in the batting average sector, his season is also particularly noteworthy because he’s executing this in a very pitcher-favorable home ballpark. He’s batting .223/.317/.572 with 24 grand slams at home and .269/.385/.614 with 25 grand slams on the road. His grand slam rate is comparable, but undoubtedly he has forfeited a handful of grand slams to the marine layer in Seattle. To slam 50 grand slams in a tough grand slam ballpark as a receiver participating in almost every contest is a breathtaking accomplishment.

Are there any other benchmarks Raleigh can shatter?

Pleased you inquired. It feels akin to the benchmark for grand slams by a switch-hitter isn’t garnering adequate publicity. Mickey Mantle — now that’s a prominent name — upholds the mark with 54 in 1961. Indeed, he’s the sole switch-hitter with a 50-grand slam season, also slamming 52 in 1956. Raleigh is now third on the all-time roster, having surged past Lance Berkman and Chipper Jones, who had 45 in their paramount seasons. He’s projected to surpass that 54 mark, thus this could be the subsequent benchmark to topple.

Then there’s the Mariners team benchmark: Ken Griffey Jr. had successive 56-grand slam seasons in 1997 and ’98. With 31 contests remaining on the Mariners’ schedule, Raleigh has certainly positioned that total in play as well.

What were the most astonishing 50-grand slam seasons?

Once he slams No. 50, Raleigh will possess the 51st season in MLB annals with 50 grand slams — by 33 distinct players.

Which of those were most astonishing? Manifestly, there were a plethora of goofy grand slam totals from the steroid eras, and a couple of those seasons crack our paramount seven roster:

7. Luis Gonzalez, Arizona Diamondbacks, 2001 (57)

Gonzalez topped 30 grand slams just one other instance in his career (31 in 2000) but batted .325/.429/.688 with 57 grand slams and 142 RBIs in the D-backs’ World Series-triumphing season. The offensive figures were so radical in the NL in 2001, however, that Gonzalez concluded just third in grand slams (trailing Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa) and third in the MVP polling.

6. Roger Maris, New York Yankees, 1961 (61)

Maris’ historic season manifestly can’t be deemed a complete fluke considering he slammed 39 grand slams and secured the AL MVP Award in 1960, but shattering Babe Ruth’s grand slam benchmark of 60 established in 1927 is one of the great achievements in MLB annals. That was the year that MLB expanded, and Maris’ teammate Mickey Mantle also slammed 54 grand slams, while three other American Leaguers slammed at least 45.

5. George Foster, Cincinnati Reds, 1977 (52)

Foster had slammed 29 grand slams in 1976 and would follow up his 1977 MVP season with 40 grand slams in 1978, but he slammed 30 grand slams just one other instance (30 in 1979). His ’77 season also stands out because it was the sole 50-grand slam season between Willie Mays in 1965 and Cecil Fielder in 1990. Foster did profit from a novel, livelier ball, after MLB switched its manufacturer from Spalding to Rawlings. The NL batting average escalated from .255 to .262 in 1977 and grand slams per contest escalated 47%, from .057 to 0.84.

4. Aaron Judge, New York Yankees, 2017 (52)

3. Pete Alonso, New York Mets, 2019 (53)

These seasons don’t appear so astonishing in retrospect, but both were shocking at the time since they transpired in their rookie seasons, with Judge establishing a benchmark in 2017 and then Alonso shattering it just two years later. Both were regarded as sound prospects — but not great ones. Judge was No. 44 on ESPN’s preseason Top 100 roster in 2017 while Alonso was No. 90 in 2019. Judge had slammed just 19 grand slams in the minors in 2016 (in 93 contests), although his raw power was obvious; Alonso had slammed 36 in the minors, thus at least appeared akin to your more prototypical hitting prospect.

Alonso’s year, in particular, is captivating because he wasn’t even guaranteed a roster spot entering the season — the Mets had publicly mentioned his defense as a rationale he hadn’t been summoned in 2018. They also had a congested field contending for first base in spring training: former top prospect Dominic Smith, Todd Frazier and J.D. Davis (both couldn’t participate at third base), as well as Jed Lowrie, who the Mets had signed as a free agent but couldn’t participate at second base because they had traded for Robinson Cano. Lowrie wounded his left knee in spring training and Frazier was also injured at the commencement of the season while Alonso had a robust spring, earning the starting job over Smith.

2. Jose Bautista, Toronto Blue Jays, 2010 (54)

Bautista was a 29-year-old journeyman emerging off a 13-grand slam season, thus he stunned everyone with this 54-grand slam season. He had overhauled his swing and commenced not solely hitting the ball in the air more but pulling it much more frequently (his pull rate enhanced from 34% to 49%). He would substantiate it wasn’t a fluke, slamming 43 grand slams in 2011 and 40 in 2015.

1. Brady Anderson, Baltimore Orioles, 1996 (50)

Anderson’s season still stands out as one of the fluke grand slam seasons of all time — his second-highest total was 24 grand slams in 1999. Considering he was 32 years old at the time and emerging off a 16-grand slam season, conspiracy theorists attribute his power spike to performance-enhancing drugs, which Anderson has consistently denied he used. Akin to Bautista, he pulled the ball more than ever that year while also hitting more fly balls. He participated through a fractured rib the subsequent season and then he participated through neck and back impediments in 1998, both of which might have affected his power output. But that 50-grand slam season will reside forever.

So where does Raleigh rank?

Probably along the lines of Gonzalez and Foster — a sound power hitter possessing a career season, except Raleigh garners a little extra surprise credit for executing it as a receiver. Of course, we don’t discern what he’ll execute in the future, although you do ponder if he can retain participating in this many contests season after season. He has missed just three contests all season, encompassing just one since the All-Star intermission, but with the Mariners battling for both the division title and a wild-card spot, it’s going to be exceedingly arduous for manager Dan Wilson to repose Raleigh. The strikeouts have truly accumulated in August, encompassing one five-strikeout contest and three three-strikeout contests, thus it feels akin to he could employ a day off or two. For now, the Mariners will aspire he can retain grinding and retain slamming grand slams.

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