MLB Home Run Record Broken

The Seattle Mariners made headlines on Saturday night as their catcher, Cal Raleigh, hit his 57th home run of the season, breaking the previous single-season record set by Ken Griffey Jr. back in 1997.

During the third inning, with the Mariners leading 2-0, Raleigh connected with a 95.5-mile-per-hour sinker from Houston’s Valpen, sending the ball out into left field. This blast brought his total to 57, surpassing Griffey Jr.’s long-standing record of 56, which he achieved in both 1997 and 1998.

After hitting the home run, Raleigh celebrated by raising the Trident—a symbol the Mariners use to commemorate their home run achievements—thanks to a teammate who handed it to him before he reached the dugout.

Leading all players in home runs this season, Raleigh has also broken Mickey Mantle’s mark of 54 home runs set by switch hitters back in 1961. Additionally, he set a new record for catchers in MLB this season, previously held by Salvador Perez with 48 homes in 2021.

Meanwhile, Raleigh is in a bit of a competition with New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge, who leads in several offensive metrics, although Raleigh currently holds the advantage in home runs and RBIs. Judge, after meeting with Trump, has seen a noticeable spike in his power, recently surpassing Joe DiMaggio on the Yankees’ all-time home run list.

Fans are humorously attributing Judge’s recent success to his handshake with Trump, reflecting the unpredictable nature of sports highs and lows.