An Elite MLB Club Gets Unlikely New Member

Baseball's elite 60-homer club has an unlikely new member: a catcher nicknamed "Big Dumper." Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners hit his 59th and 60th home runs of the season on Wednesday night, reports ESPN. Until this season, only six major leaguers—with the familiar last names of Ruth, Maris, McGwire, Sosa, Bonds, and Judge—had managed to hit 60 in a year. And until this season, no player in the grueling position of catcher had hit 49.

"It's crazy. Sixty is—I don't know what to say," Raleigh, 28, told reporters. "I didn't know if I was going to hit 60 in my life." Unlike his slugging forebears, Raleigh achieved the milestone with none of the usual perks: no hitter-friendly Yankee Stadium, no whispers of PEDs, and no imposing, superhero physique—unless you count his famous posterior, which accounts for the nickname, writes Jared Diamond of the Wall Street Journal. "Which explains why Raleigh's exploits in 2025 might be the most impressive of all," he adds.

With four games left in the regular season, the switch-hitting Raleigh almost certainly won't catch Barry Bonds' all-time mark of 73, but Aaron Judge's AL mark of 62 is within reach. MVP chatter is swirling, but Raleigh is eyeing a different prize: a Mariners World Series berth, something that's never happened in franchise history. His hitting already has helped power Seattle to its first division crown since 2001.