Raleigh eclipses Griffey Jr. with latest record-breaking HR

HOUSTON — Cal Raleigh broke Ken Griffey Jr.’s single-season franchise record for home runs with his 57th on Saturday night as the Seattle Mariners catcher moves within range of 60 — a milestone few players have reached.

Griffey hit 56 homers during the 1997 season, and again in 1998, as part of a résumé that earned him a near-unanimous election into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016. Because of his historical stature and the general difficulty of hitting homers in the Mariners’ home park, it was uncertain whether anyone would approach Griffey’s record.

“It’s a weird thing to think about,” Raleigh said after the game, a 6-4 Mariners win. “I don’t really — I can’t really comprehend it or wrap my head around it really yet. So … very grateful for it and it just feels weird to be in the same sentence with him for sure.”

Griffey’s mark is the third Raleigh has broken in his yearlong assault on the record book; he also has the most homers by a catcher and switch-hitter in a season. If he gets to 60 homers, Raleigh will be just the seventh player to reach the milestone in MLB history.

In the top of the third inning, Raleigh was down no balls and two strikes against Astros left-hander Framber Valdez. Rather than throwing a pitch out of the zone, Valdez tried to sneak a fastball over the outside corner. Raleigh, batting right-handed, leaned over the plate and mashed a high drive to right-center field that easily cleared the Astros’ bullpen.

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“We’ve seen him hit some pretty epic homers and to go the opposite way to that part of the ballpark right-handed, that was really well hit,” manager Dan Wilson said. “And just another milestone for him. Incredible season.”

It was Raleigh’s 18th homer of the season on a pitch on the outer third of the plate, second most in baseball.

As always, Raleigh jogged steadily around the bases, showing little emotion, and after hugging Eugenio Suarez and wading into joyful teammates in the dugout, he smiled slightly as he was handed the team’s trident.

Raleigh said he’s been in contact with Griffey pretty often this season but hadn’t heard from him yet on Saturday night.

“He’s reached out a few times,” Raleigh said. “He’s been to T-Mobile a couple of times as well, so he’s awesome. A super good guy, always fun to be around in the clubhouse … and I’m sure he’ll have something to say here afterwards.”

In 1927, Babe Ruth became the first player to reach 60 home runs, a record that stood for 34 years, until Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle threatened the mark in 1961. On the last day of the regular season, Maris broke Ruth’s record — although a special designation was attached to Maris’s mark, which occurred in a 162-game schedule. Ruth had played a 154-game schedule.

In 1998, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa vied for Maris’ record in a chase that captured the imagination of baseball fans. Though both eclipsed 61 homers, McGwire set the record with 70, which was broken when Barry Bonds hit 73 homers in 2001. Aaron Judge topped Maris’ American League record in 2022 with 62 homers.

Now, Raleigh is pursuing 60 homers and could threaten Judge’s mark with seven games remaining on the Mariners’ schedule. Raleigh is also competing against Judge for the AL MVP Award.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.