The Seattle Mariners’ backstop, Cal Raleigh, has been enjoying a truly remarkable season, and it’s now etched in history. With a pair of early round-trippers in Sunday’s 11-4 triumph over the Athletics, Raleigh equaled, and then surpassed, the major-league benchmark for the most homers in a single season by a catcher.
In the opening frame, Raleigh blasted his 48th dinger of the season with a two-run shot. Then, just an inning later, he launched No. 49 of the season, propelling him past a record previously established by Kansas City Royals standout Salvador Perez in 2021. Perez hammered 48 home runs that season, overtaking Johnny Bench to set a fresh standard at the position. Perez’s hold on that record lasted a mere four seasons before Raleigh shattered it on Sunday.
Raleigh’s initial big fly of the game granted the Mariners an early 2-0 advantage, with Raleigh sending the sphere 453 feet to bring himself and Randy Arozarena across the plate.
Subsequently, in the second inning, he replicated the feat: Raleigh smacked another two-run homer deep into left-center field, bringing himself and Arozarena home to give Seattle a 5-1 lead.
After circling the bases once more, the catcher was met with a standing ovation from the fans and his teammates. Raleigh retreated into the dugout, before reemerging to tip his helmet to the crowd.
Raleigh’s pursuit of history seemed almost predetermined after his first half. Raleigh clobbered an astounding 38 home runs prior to the All-Star break, exceeding his previous career high. Throughout his career, the switch-hitting Raleigh has showcased exceptional power at the plate, but he’s elevated that excellence to a whole new plane this season.
His stellar play led to Raleigh’s inaugural All-Star Game selection, where he proceeded to participate in, and emerge victorious in, the 2025 Home Run Derby.
He now stands alone atop the single-season list, which is adorned with some of the finest catchers of all time. Below are the top five single-season home run totals from catchers.
1-tie. Cal Raleigh, 2025 Seattle Mariners: 48
1-tie. Salvador Perez, 2021 Kansas City Royals: 48
3. Johnny Bench, 1970 Cincinnati Reds: 45
4. Javy Lopez, 2003 Atlanta Braves: 43
5-tie. Todd Hundley, 1996 New York Mets: 41
5-tie. Roy Campanella, 1953 Los Angeles Dodgers: 41
Among that group, Lopez actually tallied the most home runs while playing catcher. He belted 42 of his 43 home runs in 2003 while starting behind the plate. Raleigh could also break that record: With his two home runs Sunday, Raleigh has now hit 40 home runs as a catcher in 2025. He trails Lopez’s record by just two homers.
Both Raleigh and Perez benefited from their ability to serve as their team’s designated hitters on days when they aren’t catching. This enabled both players to amass a high number of plate appearances at a position that typically sees plenty of rest days. However, given that Raleigh and Perez are genuine offensive game-changers, their teams strive to ensure their bats are in the lineup each day. It’s a testament to both Perez and Raleigh that they’ve been able to endure and perform admirably under such a demanding workload.
While Perez’s record-setting 2021 season was noteworthy, Raleigh’s 2025 has the potential to be considerably superior. Perez concluded the 2021 season with a 2.7 fWAR, largely fueled by his offensive output. The advanced metrics have never favored Perez’s defense, which dragged his total WAR down.
That’s not the situation with Raleigh. Widely regarded as one of the premier defenders in baseball, Raleigh had already reached 7 fWAR by mid-August. If he can continue to finish strong, Raleigh could potentially deliver one of the finest seasons ever by a catcher.
That could garner him some accolades at the end of the season. During his impressive 2021, Perez secured a seventh-place finish in the MVP voting. Raleigh appears destined to finish no lower than second in the American League voting in 2025, with a strong possibility of winning it depending on how he — and New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge — conclude the year.
