Cal Raleigh hit his 49th homer, breaking Salvador Perez's single-season catcher record and currently sits on a 61-homer pace. Raleigh produced two separate 31-game stretches with at least a dozen home runs, but his pace has slowed since the All-Star break amid increased strikeouts and near-daily play, making a finish just under 61 more likely. Seattle has 31 games remaining and Raleigh could instead target the Mariners' single-season franchise mark of 56 set by Ken Griffey Jr. Kyle Schwarber and Shohei Ohtani are on 55-plus homer paces, with Schwarber projected to lead the National League. Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes are posting exceptional pitching numbers.
Jeff Passan: Under 61, but not by much. The Seattle Mariners have 31 games remaining. Raleigh has had two distinct 31-game spans this year in which he has hit at least a dozen home runs -- the number he needs to get to 61 -- so it's possible. Now that he has passed Salvador Perez for the most in a season by a catcher, Raleigh can target the Mariners' franchise record of 56 set by Ken Griffey Jr. in 1997.
David Schoenfield: His pace has slowed since the All-Star break -- which isn't surprising because he was on a 64-homer pace at the time. He has had just one day off since the break, and the strikeouts have piled up in August, including a five-strikeout game and several three-strikeout games. Is Raleigh finally getting worn down from playing nearly every game? In other words: Under 61.
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