Seattle catcher Cal Raleigh, at center celebrating with teammates, hit a home run to set an MLB one-season record for catchers and match Mickey Mantle's one-season switch-hitter home mark in a win over the Los Angeles Angels

Seattle catcher Cal Raleigh, at center celebrating with teammates, hit a home run to set an MLB one-season record for catchers and match Mickey Mantle's one-season switch-hitter home mark in a win over the Los Angeles Angels

 STEPHEN BRASHEAR

Cal Raleigh blasted his historic 54th home run of the Major League Baseball season on Sunday, setting two marks in the first inning against the visiting Los Angeles Angels.

The 28-year-old American catcher and designated hitter matched MLB legend Mickey Mantle for the most homers in a season by a switch-hitter.

The blast was also Raleigh's 43rd homer this year while playing as catcher, which gave him the MLB record for most homers in a season by a catcher, breaking the mark he shared with Atlanta's Javy Lopez from 2003.

After Seattle's Randy Arozarena singled off Angels starter Kyle Hendricks, left-handed hitting Raleigh smashed a sinker ball 409 feet over the left-field fence for a homer into the Mariners' bullpen.

It marked Raleigh's 34th homer this season while batting left-handed.

The Seattle crowd chanted "M-V-P" as Raleigh rounded the bases and roared when he stepped out of the dugout for a curtain call.

Raleigh, nicknamed "Big Dumper," was an MLB All-Star for the first time this year after winning last year's American League Platinum Glove Award as top defensive player.

With 12 games remaining in the MLB campaign over the next two weeks, Raleigh needs one homer to pass New York Yankees icon Mantle and three more to pass Ken Griffey Jr. for the most homers in a season in Mariners history.

Only three players in AL history have reached 60 homers in a season, all of them with the Yankees -- Babe Ruth with 60 in 1927, Roger Maris with 61 in 1961 and Aaron Judge with 62 in 2022.

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Originally published on doc.afp.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.

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