What an incredible night it was in the Pacific Northwest on Wednesday. A crowd of 42,883 packed T-Mobile Park to watch the Seattle Mariners take on the Colorado Rockies.
The Mariners entered the night with a chance to clinch the American League West, and all eyes were on catcher Cal Raleigh, who came in just two home runs shy of 60 on the season. Only two players in AL history, Aaron Judge in 2022 and Roger Maris in 1961, have ever hit 60 or more home runs in a single season.
Raleigh wasted no time getting the party started. The 6-foot-2, 235-pound slugger from Cullowhee, North Carolina, launched his 59th homer to right field in the opening inning. Julio Rodríguez followed with a blast of his own, and Jorge Polanco added one as well, propelling the Mariners toward win No. 89.
The ballpark erupted into a frenzy that never let up. Throughout the night, fans roared “MVP! MVP!” every time Raleigh stepped to the plate. In the second inning, he kept the momentum going with a two-run double, further electrifying the crowd.
But the true magic came in the eighth inning, one of those unforgettable moments destined to live on in MLB history. With Seattle leading 8-1, Raleigh dug in. The entire stadium rose to its feet, chanting “MVP! MVP! MVP!” And then it happened. A towering shot to right field. His 60th home run of the season.
The place exploded. Fans went wild. The lucky spectator who caught that ball instantly held a small fortune. More importantly, Cal Raleigh had cemented his name among baseball’s legends.
As the guys at Big League Digest suggest:
Cal Raleigh hitting 60 while the whole stadium is on their feet chanting MVP could be straight out of a movie🙌 pic.twitter.com/29UV56JITI
— Big League Digest (@BigLeagueDigest) September 25, 2025
That blast sets the stage for Thursday night’s rematch with the Rockies before a weekend showdown against the Dodgers. Raleigh, now at 60 home runs, is just two away from tying Judge’s AL record and three from holding the all-time league mark outright.
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Raleigh’s season stat line is as jaw-dropping as his homers: a .248 batting average, 60 home runs, 125 RBIs, 109 runs scored, and 23 doubles. The Mariners, meanwhile, have clinched their first division crown since 2001.
While Raleigh’s MVP case grows stronger by the day, Seattle has its eyes on a bigger prize: home-field advantage. The Mariners currently trail Toronto and the Yankees by just a single game for the AL’s best record.
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