A new challenger has entered the competition for the home run crown this season. Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh is suddenly in the spotlight. He leads the league with 36 home runs just before

The Mariners committed to Raleigh after back-to-back 30-home-run seasons and commended his defensive work behind one of MLB’s top pitching staffs, where his framing metrics ranked among the game’s best. In 2025, Raleigh has emerged as a superstar, making the extension look like a bargain.

The first of those 12 tests was a blowout loss, with Cal Raleigh providing the only highlight. An inning after watching Aaron Judge hit his 34th homer of the season, Raleigh clubbed his 36th of the season in the eighth inning to set a new franchise mark for the most homers before the All-Star break, passing Ken Griffey Jr.’s 35 homers in 1998.