SEATTLE — Cal Raleigh gave baseball one of its most memorable power displays of the decade. The Seattle Mariners catcher finished the 2025 regular season with 60 home runs, falling two shy of Aaron Judge’s American League record of 62. Even so, Raleigh tied one of the most iconic numbers in baseball history.
The slugger known as the “Big Dumper” now shares company with Babe Ruth, who reached 60 in 1927. Nearly 100 years later, only three American League players have ever reached that mark: Ruth, Roger Maris, and Judge. Raleigh becomes the fourth to stand in that exclusive circle.
Judge still owns the record at 62, set in 2022. Maris held the top spot with 61 for more than six decades. Ruth’s 60 was the standard before that. With 60 in 2025, Raleigh moves alongside Ruth in third place on the AL all-time single-season list.
Breaking records at Raleigh, the catcher
Raleigh’s year was historic on multiple levels. His 60 home runs set a new high for catchers. The previous record was 48, held by Salvador Perez. He also topped Mickey Mantle’s switch-hitter record of 54 from 1961. And he broke Ken Griffey Jr.’s Mariners franchise mark of 56 set in 1997.
It was the type of season that reshaped expectations for the position. Catchers rarely put up such numbers while shouldering the demands of working behind the plate.
“To me, motion is lotion, staying in that routine, staying moving, staying strong,” Raleigh said when asked how he sustained his performance. His discipline mirrored the preparation shown by Yankees greats during their own record pursuits.
Historic Yankees connections run deep
The parallels between Raleigh and Ruth stretch beyond statistics. Ruth changed the game in the 1920s with his home run swing, redefining baseball. The Mariners catcher did something similar for catchers in 2025, proving the position can produce historic power.
For Yankees fans, the echoes are familiar. They saw Judge chase Ruth and Maris three years ago. They watched him break both records. Now they witness another player, though in Mariners colors, enter that lineage.
The timing adds another layer. While the Yankees continue to build around Judge’s bat, the AL home run record remains in their hands. Yet Raleigh showed another path to the same hallowed territory.
Records tumble across the board
Raleigh’s pursuit of Judge’s 62 became one of the season’s central storylines. He entered September with a real chance to break the record. The pace slowed in the final week, but the round number of 60 secured his place in history.
That he did so as a catcher makes the feat more remarkable. Few positions demand more physically. Nine innings of squatting. Foul tips off the mask. Plate collisions. Handling a pitching staff. Raleigh managed all of it while hitting more home runs than any catcher before him.
His ability as a switch-hitter added another layer. Mantle’s 54 had stood for more than six decades as the switch-hitting standard. Raleigh cleared it by six, hitting with power from both sides of the plate throughout the year.
Seattle needed every swing. The Mariners claimed the AL West crown and earned a bye into the Division Series. Raleigh’s .948 OPS ranked among the best in the league. He led all of Major League Baseball in home runs, not just the AL.
Yankees territory in the record books
Joining the 60-home run club puts Raleigh in elite company. Only a handful of American League players have ever touched that milestone, and most wore Yankees pinstripes. Ruth set the template in 1927. Maris followed in 1961. Judge topped them in 2022.
National League power hitters like Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, and Sammy Sosa pushed past 60 in their primes, but the AL tradition belongs to the Yankees. Raleigh’s entry adds Seattle to that map, but the Bronx remains the epicenter.
Raleigh also carried personality into his pursuit. His “Big Dumper” nickname, embraced by teammates and fans, became part of his story. Much like Ruth’s charisma matched his slugging, Raleigh’s persona now stands alongside his production.
Beyond the numbers
Context matters, but it does not diminish Raleigh’s feat. He hit 60 during an era when offense is plentiful, but that number is still rare. In 1927, when Ruth hit 60, the entire American League combined for 439 home runs. Even in today’s power-heavy game, only a handful of players reach that level.
Raleigh added defensive value. His work behind the plate drew praise across baseball. He guided a pitching staff that helped Seattle secure its first division crown since 2001. Leadership blended with power, giving him a strong case in the MVP race.
Judge’s 62 still stands tall. It remains the modern AL standard. But Raleigh showed the chase is not over. His name now sits alongside Ruth, Maris, and Judge in the same breath.
Baseball rarely delivers such symmetry. But Raleigh tying Ruth’s 60 feels fitting. Two players from different eras. Different positions. Same magical number. Yankees fans know it well. Now Mariners fans share it too.
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