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Mariners’ Cal Raleigh on pace to break bonkers Barry Bonds home run record
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- Mariners’ Cal Raleigh on pace to break bonkers Barry Bonds home run record
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The post Mariners' Cal Raleigh on pace to break bonkers Barry Bonds home run record appeared first on ClutchPoints .
A chunk of the country is presently experiencing a heat wave to begin summer, but Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh has somehow been hotter at the plate.
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Raleigh cranked his major-league-leading 32nd home run in the ninth inning of the Seattle Mariners ' 11-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Monday night. The catcher is now on pace to mash 40 home runs before the All-Star break, and surpass the record of 39 by Barry Bonds during the 2001 season, where he finished the campaign with a single-season record 73.
"He's hit a lot of home runs, but he's found a lot of barrels, and when you're hitting .270 with that kind of power, you're putting up a lot of good at-bats," Wilson said. "He's hitting the ball hard. He's hitting the ball on the line, and then occasionally he's getting … underneath it a little bit more and driving it out of the ballpark."
The 28-year-old is also three home runs away from matching Ken Griffey Jr. for the most before the Midsummer Classic in Mariners history. Raleigh signed a six-year extension in March and could potentially end his season with multiple career-high marks.
To put his recent play into perspective, Raleigh is now only two home runs and nine doubles away from matching his previous single-season highs. The North Carolina native ranks in the 98th percentile in Barrel%, the 92nd percentile in BB%, and the 100th percentile in Batting Run Value.
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"I'd put up four fingers and let him take first base," Mariners starter Bryan Woo said. "Yeah, I'm not pitching to him."
Raleigh's All-Star start has been pivotal. The Mariners could realistically compete for either the American League West crown or a Wild Card spot. If they have designs on unseating the first-place Houston Astros or simply returning to the Postseason for the first time since 2022, Seattle will need Raleigh to continue playing like a legitimate MVP candidate.
Related: Mariners' Cal Raleigh adds to MLB home run record with 32nd blast
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