Cal Raleigh is having nothing short of a historic season. Known as the "Big Dumper", the former Florida State All-American spent the better part of three seasons (2016-2018) with the Seminoles. He was drafted in the third round of the 2018 MLB draft by the Seattle Mariners, the same team he calls home today.
Coming into Sunday's slate, Raleigh is slashing .250/.358/.595 with a whopping .953 OPS, good for fourth in the big leagues. However, his slash line is not his most impressive attribute. The catching phenom has blasted 46 homers this season, leading the majors.
As the MLB season winds down, Raleigh is certain to become the single-season catching home run record holder. The current record is held by Kansas City Royals' veteran Salvador Perez, who hit 48 homers in 2021. However, Perez did a substantial amount of his damage while splitting time as a catcher and designated hitter, whereas Raleigh has primarily played a catcher role. This makes the feat even more impressive, as catchers notoriously take a backseat to hitting to focus on defense.
The single-season catching home run record is not the only record Raleigh has in mind. The Mariners' catcher is on pace to hit 62 longballs this season. This would tie the American League home run record, which was previously set by New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge in 2022. Raleigh is currently battling Judge for the MVP award, and the race is tightening. With Judge being sidelined a few weeks ago with an arm injury, Raleigh became the odds favorite. However, since the two-time MVP's return, along with Raleigh's recent post-All-Star break struggles, Judge has regained favoritism.
While Raleigh's MVP odds may have taken a slight dip, breaking the single-season AL home run record could propel him over Judge. Two home run feats as a catcher would make it difficult for voters not to side in his direction. The former Florida State product is looking to become the first Seminole to win an MLB MVP since Buster Posey in 2012. Could we see Raleigh finish off a historic season by breaking multiple home run records and bringing home his first MVP award?