(This story has been updated to add new information.)
The Big Dumper is on fire! Cal Raleigh reasserted himself atop the home run leaderboard with a homer-happy series against the Tampa Bay Rays. Will it be enough to vault the former Florida State baseball star into the record books?
Heading into last weekend’s set, Raleigh was in the midst of a rare power outage. He had gone six games without a home run (which is only a lot when you’ve been as scorching hot as Raleigh has been this year) and he had just four taters over 19 games since winning the Home Run Derby on July 14 before his first All-Star Game. All fantastical hopes of chasing down Barry Bonds’ all-time single-season record went out the window, and it seemed catching Aaron Judge’s AL record might be getting out of reach, too.
Then the Rays came to Seattle on Aug. 8, and Raleigh heated up once more. The slugging catcher went deep in three straight games, the fourth times he’s done that in his MVP-caliber season. Raleigh has homered in four straight games once this season, a white-hot stretch in June in which he belted five big flies in four days. The Mariners are bringing his big bat on an East Coast trip until Aug. 20, including a special top in front of the kids playing in this week’s Little League World Series.
We’re monitoring the former Seminole’s home run pace over the rest of the season. Here’s everything you need to know about Raleigh’s home run total and where he stands on his pursuit of history, as well as a look at the upcoming Mariners schedule, including how to watch:
How many home runs does Cal Raleigh have?
Entering play Aug. 16, Cal Raleigh has 46 home runs through 120 games, leading the majors. His most recent homer came in the third inning Aug. 15 against Sean Manaea of the New York Mets. With his latest homer, Raleigh passed Johnny Bench in 1970 for the second-most in a season for a primary catcher.
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What is the single-season home run record?
Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants set the record in 2001 with 73 home runs. Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees holds the American League record with 62 homers in 2022. Here are some of the other single-season records Cal Raleigh is chasing:
Home run record pace: Will Cal Raleigh break home run record?
Cal Raleigh has hit 46 home runs over the team’s 123 games through Aug. 15. Here’s how his pace compares with other record-setters:
Seattle Mariners schedule
Here’s a look at the upcoming games for Cal Raleigh and the Mariners. All times Eastern:
Why is Cal Raleigh called the Big Dumper?
It’s simple: He’s got a big butt. The nickname came from Jarred Kelenic when the two were Mariners prospects practicing with the big-league club during the COVID-shortened 2020 season. As Raleigh explained with Mookie Betts in an episode of “On Base,” Kelenic responded to the catcher’s call-up to the majors in 2021 with “Big dumper to the show,” and fellow players and fans thought it was hilarious.
“Now nobody calls me Cal,” Raleigh said. “It’s just Dumper, Dump, Big Dump.”
Raleigh has taken it all in good humor, appearing in comedic Mariners Commercials for “Big Dumper Trucking” and with the team marketing his platinum glove bobblehead from the reverse angle. His mom is less pleased with it, though.
MLB home run leaders
Stats current through Aug. 15 games:
MLB home run record
Here are the best home run seasons in MLB history:
AL home run record
Here are the best home run seasons in American League history:
Cal Raleigh stats
Stats current through Aug. 15 games, along with his rankings among league batters in parentheses:
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Cal Raleigh home run tracker: Could former FSU baseball star break Aaron Judge record?
Reporting by Dan Rorabaugh, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Tallahassee Democrat
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
