"But Cal Raleigh, the quiet, humble catcher for the Seattle Mariners, is now part of one of baseball's most exclusive clubs: 60 home runs in one season. It is an unfathomable, improbable, astonishing performance. It is baseball at its most fun: the unexpected. He has given Mariners fans -- all fans, really -- something to root for on a nightly basis."
"He joins a club that includes Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Aaron Judge, Roger Maris and Babe Ruth -- three New York Yankees and three players with tainted legacies. Raleigh most obviously resembles Maris, the quiet, shy slugger from North Dakota who recoiled at all the attention he received from the press when he chased down Ruth's record in 1961 and finished with 61 home runs."
Cal Raleigh, the quiet catcher for the Seattle Mariners, reached 60 home runs in a single season, an unfathomable and improbable achievement that provided nightly excitement for fans. He had never been an All-Star before 2025 but produced multiple double-homer games, including the one where he hit his 55th and 56th to break Mickey Mantle's single-season switch-hitter mark and tie Ken Griffey Jr.'s franchise record. Raleigh expressed embarrassment at comparisons to legends and emphasized continuing to perform. The accomplishment places him among historic sluggers, alongside both celebrated and controversial figures who have reached similar milestones.
Read at ESPN.com
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