Cal Raleigh hits No. 57 to break Ken Griffey Jr.’s Mariners record in Houston

Cal Raleigh wrote his sanction supra Ken Griffey Jr.’s connected Saturday night, belting his 57th location tally to acceptable the Seattle Mariners’ single-season people successful a 6–4 triumph implicit the Houston Astros. Griffey’s 56 successful some 1997 and 1998 stood arsenic a towering barroom successful a ballpark that has ne'er made hitting look easy. Raleigh admitted the infinitesimal felt surreal. “It’s a weird happening to deliberation about,” helium said. “I can’t truly comprehend it yet. So I’m precise grateful for it, and it conscionable feels weird to beryllium successful the aforesaid condemnation with him.”

The plaything came successful the apical of the third. Down 0-2 to left-hander Framber Valdez, Raleigh stayed right-handed, reached for a fastball connected the extracurricular edge, and sent a precocious thrust to right-center that cleared the Astros’ bullpen. Manager Dan Wilson nodded to the trouble of that swing: “We’ve seen him deed immoderate beauteous epic homers, and to spell the other mode to that portion of the ballpark right-handed, that was truly good hit.” It was his 18th homer this twelvemonth connected a transportation connected the outer third, 2nd astir successful the majors.

He kept his regular steady—no flourish connected the trot, a hug for Eugenio Suárez, past a speedy grin arsenic teammates handed him the trident.

The pursuit and the institution helium keeps

Raleigh has already acceptable franchise marks for astir homers successful a play by a catcher and by a switch-hitter. He is present six shy of Aaron Judge’s American League grounds of 62 with 7 games to go. If helium reaches 60, helium would articulation a precise abbreviated list: Babe Ruth (60 successful 1927), Roger Maris (61 successful 1961), Mark McGwire (70 successful 1998), Sammy Sosa (three times implicit 60), Barry Bonds (73 successful 2001), and Judge (62 successful 2022).

He said helium has stayed successful interaction with Griffey during the year. “He’s been to T-Mobile a mates of times arsenic well, truthful he’s awesome,” Raleigh said. “A ace bully guy, ever amusive to beryllium astir successful the clubhouse.” The conversations tin wait. The plaything is what travels, and close present it is carrying him into uncommon territory—and into the AL MVP speech alongside Judge.