
Mariners slugger Cal Raleigh leads MLB in homers and is on pace to set a season record for catchers
Given the way Cal Raleigh’s season has started, perhaps the Seattle Mariners catcher is wholly deserving of those “MVP” chants. With a solo shot during Seattle’s 2-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins, Raleigh upped his total to a major league-leading 23 home runs. The 28-year-old backstop nicknamed Big Dumper became the first catcher in big league history to reach 20 homers before the end of May. Salvador Perez of the Kansas City Royals holds the major league record for home runs in a season by a catcher with 48 in 2021. Raleigh is on pace for 64 this year, which would break the American League mark of 62 set by Aaron Judge in 2022.