“We’re watching something special” - Mariners’ Julio Rodriguez in awe of Cal Raleigh as catcher continues rewriting MLB history with 56th HR

Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh has already broken numerous records this season. In the history of baseball, never has a catcher, who also happens to be a switch hitter, been this prolific at the plate. The magnitude of his achievement can only be measured when compared to the greats who held those records.

With his 55th and 56th home runs on Tuesday night in a 12-5 win over the Kansas City Royals, Raleigh passed Yankees legend Mickey Mantle for the most homers as a switch hitter while also tying Ken Griffey Jr. for the Mariners' franchise record. Dividing his time between a catcher and a Designated Hitter, Cal Raleigh has hit 45 home runs when acting as the backstop for the team, which is also a record.

As per Mariners slugger Julio Rodriguez, speaking in an exclusive with The Athletic, Raleigh's achievements should be embraced because it is as unique as it gets.

“That’s what I’m saying. These are guys who, for us, they just mark a whole generation, and generations of players throughout the game," Rodriguez said. "So just to see what he’s doing right now, in front of our eyes, is something that we shouldn’t take for granted.

"And we shouldn’t try to compare it to this guy or that guy. I feel like we should embrace it as it is, and understand that this is something special that we’re watching in the game, and just keep showing love and appreciation for what he’s doing.”

Cal Raleigh missed out on Wednesday night as the Mariners lost 7-5 to the Royals. He has 10 more games to join an illustrious list of 9 sluggers who reached 60 home runs in a season. At the bottom of the list are the three American League leaders, Babe Ruth, 60 HRs in 1927, Rogers Maris, 61 HRs in 1961, and Aaron Judge, 62 HRs in 2022.

Six home runs in ten remaining games might be a steep hill to climb, but it will be wrong to put the 60-homer mark past the 28-year-old this season. He has shown his all-around abilities at the plate, currently batting at .247 with 104 runs and 118 RBIs while walking 92 times.

Mariners GM pins hopes on Cal Raleigh to be voted as the AL MVP

General Manager Justin Hollander accepted that New York Yankees' Aaron Judge has had a superlative season by his own standards, but he broke down Raleigh's importance to the Mariners, especially as a catcher, and tried to explain why he deserved the American League MVP.

“I don’t think people understand about what a catcher does, to go out there every day, is the physical toll it takes on your body and the emotional toll it takes to move on — not from the day where you went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts and left the bases loaded in the seventh inning," Hollander said.

“The toll the catcher takes is that, plus: Oh, man. I had to call 145 pitches last night, and we gave up a big hit in this spot, and I put the wrong finger down, and now I’ve got to go prepare for the start the next day...

“And then I have to go take BP from both sides of the plate. And then I have to go get ready in the training room. And that is such a unique thing in sports, to have to prepare offensively and defensively in that way. There’s not another position in sports that’s like that.”

The Mariners, currently with an 83-69 record, are second in the AL West division. Their team's success and a deep run into the playoffs could be a huge boost to Cal Raleigh's MVP victory.