MLB 2025: Analysis of the Raleigh 50 Hrs record campaign
Where is the season of 50 Raleight homers among the most amazing power calendars?
The Seattle Mariners receiver, Cal Raleigh, connected his home runs 48 and 49 on Sunday in turn to the consecutive bat in the first two tickets against the Athletics, breaking the record of Salvador Pérez of more homers in a season for a receiver. The next night, he became Mickey Mantle In the exclusive club.
While Raleight’s season is not precisely unexpected (he reached 30 home runs the previous two years), the fact that we are not yet in September without a doubt makes his feats of power even more impressive.
In honor of his record season, let’s analyze some of the figures of his 2025 campaign. And with Raleight now in 50 homers, we will also analyze where his season is located among the most surprising of 50 homers in the history of the MLB.
So, is this the best pot of potato bat for a receiver?
In technical terms, this is a topic of discussion. Like Pérez with the Kansas City Royals in 2021, Raleight has benefited from playing as a designated hitter, with nine of his homers in that role. Pérez’s figures were even more extreme, with 15 of their 48 homers as a designated batter.
The home runs playing only as a receiver belongs to Javy Lópezwho connected 42 for Atlanta Braves in 2003 in just 117 games (connected one more as an emerging batter). That was an impressive season for López, who hit .328/.378/.687 with an OPS of 1,065. Seven plate appearances were missing for the 502 necessary for the official classification; Otherwise, his PAHO would be the second highest in history for a receiver (behind the 1,070 of Mike Piazza In 1997) and his slugging of .687, the highest in history (Piazza had a slugging of .638 in 1997). (And it would be an oversight not to mention the batting feats of Josh Gibson in the black leagues, since it exceeded both figures on multiple occasions).
Raleight leads the big leagues in homers, which would place it next to Johnny Bench as the only receiver to lead the older if he maintains his advantage over Kyle Schwarber and Shohei Ohtani. Bench, who led the major leagues with 45 homers in 1970 and 40 in 1972, added 158 games in 1970 and 147 in 1972, occasionally playing in other positions when he was not a receiver, instead of the designated batter role.
Could any other receiver in the story have hit so many home runs?
Lopez would have been the obvious candidate. Raleigh will far exceed 600 appearances to the plate; López’s home run rate, prorated to 625 appearances, takes it to 54. Piazza connected 40 home runs in 1997, but hit 633 times in 152 games, so they cannot improvise more than a few additional homers, even if he had more opportunities as designated batter. Roy Campanella He hit 41 for Brooklyn in 1953, hitting 590 times in 144 games (although he only started in 130). If we give it a calendar of 162 games and some openings as a designated batter, perhaps approaches the 50. Todd Sinkley It is the only other receiver with a 40 -homer season, batting 41 for 1996 New York Mets in 624 appearances to the plate.
While Raleigh has dropped his rhythm from the recess of the stars game, especially on average batting, his season is particularly impressive because he is doing it in a very favorable stage for the pitchers. He is hitting .223/.317/.572 with 24 home runs at home and .269/.385/.614 with 25 windows as a visitor. His average home runs is similar, but, without a doubt, he has lost some against the Navy in Seattle. Connecting 50 home runs in a difficult stage for home runs as a receiver, playing almost all games, is an impressive achievement.
Are there other records that Raleigh can break?
I’m glad the question. It seems that the home run record for an ambitious batter is not receiving enough advertising. Mickey Mantlea well -known name, holds the brand with 54 in 1961. In fact, it is the only other ambid -squeak with a 50 home run season, since it also connected 52 in 1956. Raleigh now occupies third place in the historical list, after overcoming Lance Berkman and Chipper Joneswho had 45 in their best seasons. It is projected to exceed that 54 mark, so this could be the next record to fall.
Then there is the record of the Mariners team: Ken Griffey Jr. He had consecutive seasons of 56 homers in 1997 and 1998. With 31 remaining games in the calendar of the Mariners, Raleigh, without a doubt, has also put that figure into play.
What are the most surprising seasons with 50 homers?
With the number 50, Raleight has the 51st season in the history of the MLB with 50 homers, by 33 different players.
What were the most surprising? Obviously, there were many totals of crazy homers in the era of steroids, and a couple of those seasons appear on our list of the best seven:
7. Luis González, Arizona Diamondbacks, 2001 (57)
González beat the 30 homers only on another occasion in his career (31 in 2000), but hit .325/.429/.688 with 57 homers and 142 races promoted in the season in which the D-backs won the World Series. However, the offensive numbers were so extreme in the National League in 2001 that González finished third in homers (behind Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa) and third in the vote to the most valuable player (MVP).
6. Roger Maris, New York Yankees, 1961 (61)
Maris’s historic season can obviously be qualified as a coincidence, considering that he connected 39 homers and won the most valuable player in the American League in 1960, but break the record of home runs from Babe Ruth Of 60, established in 1927, it is one of the great achievements in the history of the MLB. That was the year that the MLB expanded, and Maris’s teammate, Mickey Mantlealso connected 54 homers, while three other American league players connected at least 45.
5. George Foster, Cincinnati Reds, 1977 (52)
Foster had connected 29 homers in 1976 and, after his 1977 MVP season, connected 40 homers in 1978, but only connected 30 home runs on another occasion (30 in 1979). His 1977 season also stands out for being the only one with 50 home runs between Willie Mays in 1965 and Cecil Fielder In 1990. Foster benefited from a new and more dynamic ball after the MLB changed manufacturer, Spalding to Rawlings. The National League batting average increased from .255 to .262 in 1977 and homes per game increased 47 percent, from .057 to 0.84.
4. Aaron Judge, New York Yankees, 2017 (52)
3. Pete Alonso, New York Mets, 2019 (53)
These seasons do not seem so surprising in retrospect, but both were shocking at the time, since they occurred in their rookie years. Judge established a record in 2017 and Alonso broke it only two years later. Both were considered good prospects, but not excellent. Judge occupied the 44th position on the list of the best preseason of AM850 In 2017, while Alonso was the number 90 in 2019. Judge had connected only 19 home runs in the minors in 2016 (in 93 games), although his power was evident; Alonso had connected 36 in the minors, so, at least, it seemed the typical batting prospect.
Alonso’s year, in particular, is fascinating because he didn’t even have a position in the roster at the beginning of the season; The METS had publicly mentioned their defense as one of the reasons why they had not promoted it in 2018. In addition, they had a large number of players competing for the first base in spring training: former star leaflet Dominic Smith, Todd Frazier and JD Davis (both could not play in third base), as well as Jed Lowrieto whom the Mets had signed as a free agent, but who could not play in second base because they had acquired Robinson Canó in a exchange. Lowrie was injured his left knee in spring and Frazier training was also injured at the beginning of the season, while Alonso had a solid spring, winning ownership over Smith.
2. José Bautista, Toronto Blue Jays, 2010 (54)
Bautista was a 29 -year -old veteran who came from a 13 home run season, so he surprised everyone with this 54 -flyer campaign. He had improved his swing and began not only to hit the highest ball, but to pull it much more frequently (his rate of pulling it improved from 34 percent to 49 percent). He would show that it was no accident, connecting 43 homers in 2011 and 40 in 2015.
1. Brady Anderson, Baltimore Orioles, 1996 (50)
Anderson’s season still stands out as one of the most casual home run campaigns of all time; His second highest total was 24 in 1999. Considering that he was 32 years old at that time and came from a 16 home run season, conspiracy theorists attribute their increase in power to drugs to improve performance, whose use Anderson has constantly denied. Like Bautista, he pulled the ball more than ever that year, in addition to connecting higher. He played with a broken rib and then with neck and back problems in 1998, both factors that could have affected their power. But that 50 home run season will live forever.
And what position does Raleight occupy?
Probably along the same lines as González and Foster: a good power batter with a spectacular season, but Raleigh receives an extra credit for his performance as a receiver. Of course we do not know what he will do in the future, although it is worth asking if he can continue playing so many games season after season. Only three games have been lost throughout the season, including one from the spare of the stars game, but with the sailors fighting for the title of the division and a wildcard, it will be extremely difficult for the manager Dan Wilson Give Raleigh rest. The strikeouts have accumulated in August, including a game of five strikeouts and three of three, so it seems that one or two days off. For now, the sailors expect you to continue working hard and connect homes.
