Arkansas Travelers alum Cal Raleigh sets all-time catcher home run record

Written By Apo August 24, 2025 Add Comment

SEATTLE – On Sunday, Seattle Mariners catcher and Arkansas Travelers alum Cal Raleigh hit his 48th home run, tying the all-time single-season record for a catcher, and one inning later, he broke it with his 49th. The historic blast surpassed the record of 48 set by Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez in 2021.

A former second-round draft pick by the Mariners in 2018, Raleigh played for the Arkansas Travelers in 2019 after a call up from Single-A Modesto. During his time with the team, he got 33 hits in 145 at-bats with seven home runs and 16 RBI in 39 games.

Cal Raleigh hits a home run for the Arkansas Travelers in North Little Rock. (Travelers/Mark Wagner)
Cal Raleigh hits a home run for the Arkansas Travelers in North Little Rock. (Travelers/Mark Wagner)
Cal Raleigh rounds the bases after hitting a home run for the Arkansas Travelers in North Little Rock. (Travelers/Mark Wagner)
Cal Raleigh celebrates after hitting a home run for the Arkansas Travelers in North Little Rock. (Travelers/Mark Wagner)

Prior to the 2025 season, Raleigh signed a six-year, $105 million contract extension, a deal that followed his outstanding 2024 season in which he won the American League Platinum Glove Award as the league's top defender.

After getting off to a torrid pace and leading the league in home runs, Raleigh was voted by fans as a starter in the All-Star Game. He broke Ken Griffey Jr.’s record for most home runs by a Mariner before the All-Star break and became the first catcher and switch-hitter to win the Home Run Derby.

Seattle Mariners' Cal Raleigh hits a two-run home run to break the record for single-season home runs by a catcher at 49 against the Athletics during the second inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Seattle Mariners' Cal Raleigh follows through on a two-run home run against the Athletics during the second inning of a baseball game, breaking the record for single-season home runs by a catcher at 49, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Seattle Mariners' Cal Raleigh runs the bases after hitting a two-run home run against the Athletics during the second inning of a baseball game, breaking the record for single-season home runs by a catcher at 49, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Seattle Mariners' Cal Raleigh celebrates in the dugout with the trident after hitting a two-run home run against the Athletics during the second inning of a baseball game, breaking the record for single-season home runs by a catcher at 49, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

His two-homer performance on Sunday also marked his ninth multi-home run game as a switch-hitter, a record previously held by Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle. The pair of bombs also pushed him past Griffey for most multi-HR games by a Mariners player in a season.

With his record-breaking pace, Raleigh is now on track to potentially challenge Griffey’s franchise record of 56 home runs and has emerged as a leading candidate for the American League MVP award.

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