Cal Raleigh smashes 55th homer to break Mickey Mantle’s switch-hitter record

Seattle Mariners' Cal Raleigh made history Tuesday night, blasting his 55th home run of the season to break Mickey Mantle’s long-standing single-season record for most homers by a switch hitter. The milestone came in the third inning against the Kansas City Royals, when Raleigh launched a Michael Wacha pitch just inside the right-field foul pole, extending the Mariners’ early 3-0 lead.


Raleigh’s remarkable power display continued as he also equaled Ken Griffey Jr's club record 56 home runs in a season, set in 1997 and matched in 1998. The slugger also doubled and scored in the opening frame, continuing what has been a career-defining year.



Named to his first All-Star team this summer, Raleigh not only leads the majors in home runs but also tops the American League in RBIs, with 116 after Tuesday’s game.


Earlier this season, he etched his name into the record books by surpassing Salvador Perez’s mark for the most home runs in a season by a full-time catcher, hitting his 49th to set the standard. Raleigh has already broken Javy Lopez's record of 43 homers hit by a player while playing catcher.