In the city where the fog hangs over Puget Sound and the echoes of greatness still dance through T-Mobile Park, there’s a new name lighting up the skyline. His name is Cal Raleigh — a burly, switch-hitting catcher with a swing built for folklore and a flair for moments that make even the most jaded Mariners fan believe again. On this Fourth of July, beneath a summer sky, Raleigh did what once seemed untouchable: he matched Ken Griffey Jr.'s hallowed franchise record for home runs before the All-Star break — and then, almost nonchalantly, passed it.

It started in the first inning against Pittsburgh’s Bailey Falter — a fastball over the plate, a 3-1 count, and a swing that turned heads and silenced the skeptics. The ball soared 433 feet into the upper deck, a Statcast marvel that left the bleachers buzzing and the comparisons inevitable. It wasn’t just a home run. It was a message. Then came the sixth inning, and with it, Raleigh’s second long ball of the afternoon — this time, a towering shot to left-center that barely cleared the fence but carried enough weight to rewrite the record books.

Thirty-five home runs before the Midsummer Classic — a milestone so synonymous with Griffey that even now, Mariners faithful speak of it in hushed tones, as if it belonged in a museum alongside his iconic swing. But here comes Raleigh, humble yet imposing, reminding everyone that records aren’t just meant to be revered — they’re meant to be chased. For a franchise that has lived too long in the shadows of its own legends, this summer feels different. It feels electric.

The parallels to Griffey are impossible to ignore — not just in numbers, but in the way Raleigh carries himself. He’s already the most prolific right-handed home run hitter in the ballpark’s history, a statement made more remarkable by the fact that he’s doing it as a switch-hitting catcher, a position long associated with grit more than glamour. Even Griffey himself, though not officially on staff, has been a quiet mentor — a voice on the phone, a legend offering counsel to the player quickly making his own way onto Seattle’s Mount Rushmore.

And yet, for all the home runs, the towering shots, and the stat sheets lighting up with projections that now flirt with Aaron Judge’s American League record of 62, it’s the little details that tell you this story still has chapters to write. The stare-down after that 115.2 mph rocket in the first inning. The casual pinwheel toss of the bat. The grin that suggests Raleigh knows exactly what he’s doing — and exactly how rare this all is.

​​With 64 home runs now squarely within reach, an All-Star start locked up, and the Home Run Derby looming, the legend of Cal Raleigh is no longer confined to the Pacific Northwest. It’s becoming a national headline, a reminder that even in the shadow of Griffey, new heroes can emerge. And for Mariners fans, long familiar with waiting, watching, and wondering — the summer of 2025 suddenly feels like it belongs to them.