I tell myself that every year in baseball is something you cannot predetermine. In a 162-game season, truly anything is possible, and nothing is out of the ordinary. It goes to show the beauty of baseball—that anyone, even the unlikeliest of heroes, can make history. A game that’s been around longer than sliced bread is always due for someone to challenge the record books and break the inevitable. What stood for 64 years, and in baseball is an eternity, was finally broken on Tuesday night.

The balance of time is always steady until a swinging force comes crashing through. What struck thunder Tuesday night at Kauffman Stadium was none other than Cal Raleigh, who clobbered his 55th and 56th home run. If you were a baseball novice, you would assume it’s just another home run to tally onto his already impressive career, but you would be wrong. The two home runs he hit had equal but different importance for MLB history.

The 55th home run catapulted Cal Raleigh into the lead for the most home runs by a switch hitter. The record was previously held by Mickey Mantle, who achieved the notable feat in 1961 when Mantle hit his 54th home run against the Los Angeles Angels on September 25th, 1961. It marked the game where Mantle hit his career high in home runs and achieved the single-season record for a switch hitter that would last 64 years until Cal broke it this year. That year in 1961 also saw the Mick place second in American League MVP voting, a similar place where Raleigh would likely end up as the season wraps up.

Since Cal has been alternating between catcher and designated hitter to allow his knees some rest between games, it is notable to recognize that within his 55 home runs hit this season, 43 of them came at the catcher’s position, which allowed him to pass Javy Lopez’s record of 42 home runs for the Atlanta Braves in 2003. Raleigh had already set the record for most home runs by a primary catcher earlier this season when he hit his 49th, passing Salvador Perez’s previous record set in 2021. So many records, so much history.

The 56th home run etched Cal Raleigh’s name into Mariners history, as the ‘Big Dumper’ tied a franchise legend for the all-time single-season home run record last set by ‘The Kid.’ Ken Griffey Jr. reached the 56-home-run mark in two consecutive seasons in 1997 and 1998 en route to his first and only MVP award, which he received after the 1997 season wrapped up.

These are cool statistics and all, but Raleigh has his eyes on reaching the 60-home-run mark, most importantly taking the throne away from Aaron Judge for the most home runs in a single season by an American League player. It wouldn’t be the first time someone stripped Judge of his throne for most home runs in a single season, last seen in 2019 when rookie Pete Alonso hit a record 53 home runs, one more than Judge’s record of 52 he set in 2017.

Raleigh currently stands at 56 home runs and is one away from achieving the all-time Mariners home run record. If he surpasses 60, he would become the only American League player that isn’t a Yankee to achieve this feat.

As of September 17th, the Mariners have 13 games before the regular season closes off, and with Raleigh standing at 56 bombs, he only needs 7 more to reach all-time greatness. That averages to around one home run a game, but with the immaculate performance Raleigh had last night, hitting for the fences on the first two pitches, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Raleigh take his game up to another level during the heat of the division race.

The Mariners have been the best team as of late and are currently riding a 10-game win streak. The Mariners are now tied with Houston with 83 wins apiece and are only 0.5 games up, with one less loss than them. 10-0 in their last 10, a catcher having a historic season for an opportunity at 63 home runs, and the chance to beat the most undeniable powerhouse of the AL West that has won the division every full season since 2016—if there is any time for the Mariners to act upon their strength, the season is now. Be perilous and continue the fight, as a Big Dumper will always shake Seattle.