Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh had one of the best games of his young career on Wednesday.
In the Mariners’ 6-5 win over the Kansas City Royals, he went 2-for-5 with a run, a double, a homer, and two RBI.
At a time in which Seattle needs every win they can get to keep dreaming about the Wild Card, Raleigh came through.
It was the 50th home run of his young career, which gave him a place in franchise history, according to Talkin’ Baseball.
“Cal Raleigh is the second-fastest hitter to 50 home runs in Mariners history (271 games). Only Alex Rodriguez got to 50 homers quicker (269 games),” they tweeted.
Cal Raleigh is the second-fastest hitter to 50 home runs in Mariners history (271 games)
Only Alex Rodriguez got to 50 homers quicker (269 games)
(via @MarinersPR) pic.twitter.com/4oKsM0S1cJ
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) August 17, 2023
Of course, the goal of this exercise is not to compare Raleigh with a generational talent like Alex Rodriguez.
It’s just about pointing out that Raleigh’s power contributions have been very significant to open his career.
It’s hard to find a catcher who can be a star behind the plate and have 21 round-trippers and a .750 OPS.
That’s Raleigh’s offensive output to this point, which is fantastic considering the position he plays.
You can add Wednesday’s dinger to the list of historically relevant Mariners home runs.
The most important one of his career came last year, to seal the Mariners’ playoff ticket on an unforgettable night.
But life is about building new memories and starting new chapters and challenges, and that’s what Raleigh is trying to do.
Raleigh has definitely been a big reason why Seattle is actually fighting for its spot in the postseason.
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