Raleigh Shatters a Record as the Seattle Mariners Cruise to their 10th Straight Win
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They say, when you're hot, you're hot. And right now, the Seattle Mariners and their MVP candidate are absolutely on fire. The M's walloped the Kansas City Royals, 12-5, at Kauffman Stadium on Tuesday night, behind good starting pitching and a couple of incredible milestones.
Righthander Logan Gilbert gave up two earned runs over 5 2/3 innings pitched. He surrendered six hits and notched five strikeouts before exiting in the sixth inning with a big lead, thanks to his team's early offensive prowess.
Catcher Cal Raleigh belted his 55th and 56th home runs of the season, passing Yankees legend Mickey Mantle (55 in 1961) for the most by a switch-hitter in a single season. The next inning, Big Dumper hit his second shot of the night, tying him with Ken Griffey Jr. for the franchise's single-season record. Griffey hit 56 in both 1997 and ‘98.
“It’s very cool,” Raleigh said. “Very humbled by it. Crazy kind of thing. I never thought it would happen. … It’s crazy. Not a lot of words to describe it. Just very grateful for it.”
“My name shouldn’t be in the same sentence with those guys, Mickey Mantle and Ken Griffey Jr. I don’t really have words for it. … I’m sure one day it will set in.”
Cal Raleigh with Nos. 55 and 56. Now owns the single-season home run record for a switch hitter, passing Mickey Mantle, and has tied Ken Griffey Jr. for the most homers in one season by a Mariner. pic.twitter.com/AHyNHlNC1K
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) September 17, 2025
It doesn’t even seem real,” said outfielder Dominic Canzone, who had a career night on Tuesday, himself.. “He just does it every single day. He’s grinding behind the plate as well, so to just have that type of performance out of your catcher, it’s something that you really don’t see. He’s like a once-in-a-lifetime type player.”
Canzone busted out the whooping stick against the Royals, as well. He went 5-for-5 on the evening, swatting three homers, in the best offensive game of his career.
Dominic Canzone is the 2nd player in @Mariners history to have a 5-hit, 3-homer game! pic.twitter.com/lOXnYTGJZE
— MLB (@MLB) September 17, 2025
Mostly, the game was another step closer to the Mariners clinching a playoff spot. But it was also a showcase for Raleigh in his quest for the AL MVP Award. Seattle's superstar catcher has an MLB-best 10 multihomer games this season. His 56 homers and 118 RBIs lead the league; it's been that magical of a season for the 28-year-old veteran.
The Mariners are in the Driver's Seat Now
The Seattle Mariners' odds of making the playoffs are extremely high, with models giving them a projected 96.4%chance as of September 15, 2025. They currently lead the AL West division with a 1/2 game advantage over the Houston Astros. At the same time, they hold a strong position in the wild card race.
The Mariners (83-68) have two more games remaining in Kansas City before heading to a pivotal three-game series in Houston against the Astros on Sept 19-21.
Depending on how the rest of the week shakes out, the Mariners could be in a position to deliver a knockout blow and assure themselves a higher seed in the playoffs.
