Seattle Mariners power-hitting catcher Cal Raleigh unleashed another thunderous homer today (3rd) in Tampa. Although the Mariners ultimately fell 5-6 to the Tampa Bay Rays, Raleigh’s solo shot in the top of the 4th inning marked his 51st home run of the season, firmly cementing his lead as the MLB home run king and steadily closing in on several historic records.

Facing Rays starting pitcher Drew Rasmussen, Raleigh battled through a nine-pitch at-bat before driving a high fastball deep into the right field stands. This 371-foot (about 113 meters) solo homer was his first since a week ago. Previously, he exploded for three home runs over August 24 and 25, reaching the 50-home run milestone for the season, but then went into a slump with only 2 hits in 18 at-bats.

This homer brought Raleigh’s total home runs as a catcher this season to 41, tying Todd Hundley’s 1996 record and putting him just one shy of record holder Javy Lopez’s 42 homers set in 2003. He had already surpassed Salvador Perez’s single-season catcher record of 48 homers and is now aiming for even higher marks.

Additionally, as a switch-hitter, Raleigh is chasing Mickey Mantle’s 1961 single-season record of 54 home runs by a switch-hitter, trailing by only three homers. He is also five homers away from breaking the Mariners’ single-season record of 56 homers set by Ken Griffey Jr. in 1997 and 1998.

At his current pace, Raleigh has a chance to finish the season with 59 home runs. If his form heats up further, he could even challenge the American League single-season record of 62 homers held by Aaron Judge. Currently, he leads the home run leaderboard with 51, ahead of Philadelphia’s Kyle Schwarber (49), Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani (46), and the Yankees’ Aaron Judge (43).

In this game, Raleigh went 1-for-5, raising his season batting average to .243 with a slugging percentage of .933. Combining power, defense, and baserunning, his all-around performance not only rewrites team history but also adds fresh excitement to the AL MVP race this season.