"I want to be like him" - Cal Raleigh opens up on wanting to follow $82,000,000 Royals superstar's footsteps

Currently batting .239 with an MLB-leading 53 home runs and 113 RBIs, Seattle Mariners star Cal Raleigh is enjoying an extraordinary season. Raleigh's fantastic performances have established him as one of the frontrunners for the prestigious AL MVP award, alongside New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge.

Seen as a hero by many fans because of his remarkable exploits on the field this season, there are still many big leaguers Raleigh himself is a fan of. One such player is Kansas City Royals star Salvador Perez.

Speaking to insider Shannon Drayer on Thursday, Cal Raleigh opened up about his desire of learning from Perez and following in the Venezuelan's footsteps.

"He (Salvador Perez) is a great player. I remember in 2021, just kind of asking what he does in the offseason. I remember there was a pause in the action or something, so [I asked him] what he does in the offseason, how he takes care of his body, things like that. You try to talk to certain guys, because he's obviously a catcher, somebody that I want to be like.

"I want to play a lot, have a long career, be like him. He's a prime example of somebody you want to try to model your game after. Multiple Gold Gloves, World Series champion, Silver Slugger, so he's kind of done it all. It's kind of cool to pick those guys' brains," Raleigh said [15:42]

Having initially signed with the Royals as a 16-year-old, Salvador Perez was handed his big league debut in August 2011. Ever since, he has gone on to establish himself as one of the best in the business, earning nine All-Star selections, five Gold Gloves and five Sliver Slugger awards, while also playing a key role in the Royals' famous World Series win of 2015.

Salvador Perez is in the final year of a four-year, $82 million contract signed in March 2021.

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Cal Raleigh broke Salvador Perez's home run record this season

Soon after signing his bumper deal with the Kansas City Royals in 2021, Salvador Perez went on to set the record for the most home runs hit by a catcher, going yard 48 times.

That record stood for about three seasons, before Cal Raleigh surpassed it, when he hit his 48th and 49th home runs of the season in the same game against the Athletics, on Aug. 24.

Cal Raleigh gets ready bat against the St. Louis Cardinals - Source: Getty

Raleigh has 53 home runs with about two weeks of the regular season remaining.