Cal Raleigh home run tracker: Mariners slugger reaches 56 homers on 2-HR night, ties Ken Griffey Jr. for Mariners team record

Cal Raleigh’s historic 2025 season has seen him reach the 50-home run mark, the most homers in a season by a primary catcher in MLB history. He’s also the first player in MLB history to hit at least 20 home runs from each side of the plate in the same season.

Now he’s reached two more historic milestones with a two-homer night against the Kansas City Royals Tuesday. 

In the third inning, he passed Mickey Mantle’s MLB record of 55 homers by a switch-hitter in a single season with a solo blast. Mantle reached the 54-mark in 1961.

In the fourth inning, he hit home run No. 56 with a two-run shot to center field, tying Mariners legend Ken Griffey Jr. for the franchise record. 

[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season]

The Seattle Mariners catcher’s road to home run history began on the final day of March, with his first dinger of the season, and he has continued the power surge ever since. Raleigh has hit blasts in consecutive games eight times and recorded nine multi-homer games this season.

As Raleigh approaches more history in his MVP-worthy season, we are tracking his notable 2025 home runs all the way through Game 162.

Home runs hit: 1

March 31: Raleigh opened his 2025 home run account in the Mariners’ fifth game of the season, a 9-6 loss to the Detroit Tigers. His 358-foot blast came six days after he signed a six-year, $105 million extension.

Home runs hit: 9

April 11: The history-making started early for Raleigh. During the Mariners’ 14th game, he launched his third blast of the season off Texas Rangers pitcher Chris Martin and set the franchise record for career home runs by a catcher with his 96th.

Home runs hit: 12

May 2: Raleigh’s first grand slam of the season came on a two-homer, five-RBI night in a 13-1 rout of Jack Leiter and the Rangers.

May 27: Raleigh’s third multi-home-run game of the season put his total up to 19 on the year and set an MLB record for home runs by a catcher in a team’s first 53 games of a season. Both dingers came against Washington Nationals pitcher Mitchell Parker.

May 30: Raleigh became the first catcher in MLB history with 20 home runs before the end of May with another multi-blast night that saw him knock in five runs in a 12-6 loss to the Minnesota Twins.

Home runs hit: 11

June 20: A prolific May continued into June for Raleigh, as he reached double-digit home runs again and set the MLB record for homers by a catcher before the All-Star break with his 29th of the season at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs.

June 21: Still at Wrigley one day later, Raleigh hit No. 30 to become the first switch-hitter in MLB history to do so before the All-Star break, moving ahead of of Mickey Mantle, José Ramírez and Lance Berkman. He also became the first player to hit 30 home runs in his team’s first 75 games since 2001, when Barry Bonds and Luis Gonzalez achieved that feat.

Cal Raleigh’s historic season with the Seattle Mariners has featured him winning the Home Run Derby and becoming the first MLB player to reach 50 home runs. (Photo by Gene Wang, Capture At Media/Getty Images)
Gene Wang – Capture At Media via Getty Images

Home runs hit: 9

July 14: By the time the baseball world descended on Atlanta for the All-Star Game, Raleigh had 38 home runs. He brought his power to Georgia, where he became the first catcher to win the Home Run Derby, edging Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero in the final. Raleigh is the second Mariner to win the event, joining Griffey, who won the Derby three times. Raleigh is also the first switch-hitter to win the Derby outright, as Rubén Sierra, the only other switch-hitter to win, shared the title in 1998.

July 26: Nearly two weeks after Raleigh’s Derby win, he hit No. 40 to become the seventh catcher in MLB history to post a 40-homer season, joining Salvador Perez, Johnny Bench, Javy López, Todd Hundley, Roy Campanella and Mike Piazza. It was the 133rd blast of Raleigh’s career, putting him ahead of Ken Griffey Jr. for the most by a Mariner in his first five MLB seasons.

Home runs hit: 8

Aug. 15: Homer No. 46 was launched during a win over the New York Mets that also saw Raleigh reach 100 RBI on the season. That matched his career high, set in 2024, and made Raleigh the first catcher since Mike Piazza in 1999 and 2000 with 100 RBI in consecutive seasons while playing at least 50% of his games behind the plate.

Aug. 24: An 11-4 win over the Athletics delivered yet another multi-homer game from Raleigh — one that saw him tie and then break the MLB record for home runs hit by a catcher in a single season when he hit Nos. 48 and 49 to leapfrog Salvador Perez.

Aug. 25: Raleigh reached 50 home runs before any other MLB player this season, getting there with a first-inning dinger during a win over the San Diego Padres. He is the only primary catcher to ever hit 50 blasts in a single season.

Home runs hit: 4 (and counting)

Sept. 2: Raleigh hit his first homer of September in a 6-5 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. Rays starter Drew Rasmussen left a 96 mph fastball high and over the middle of the plate, and Raleigh launched it into the right-field stands at Steinbrenner Field.

Sept. 14: After a one-week home run drought, Raleigh hit his 54th home run of the season to tie Mickey Mantle for the most home runs by a switch-hitter in a single season.

MLB playoffs 2025 tracker: Standings, schedule, clinch scenarios and more

The MLB postseason is right around the corner. And with less than two weeks left in the regular season, every team with World Series aspirations still has a lot left to play for.

Let’s break down the MLB standings and the playoff picture as they look ahead of games on Sept. 16.

The Brewers clinched the first spot in the playoffs on Sept. 13. They are in line to win the NL Central and secure the NL’s No. 1 seed.

The Phillies clinched a postseason spot on Sept. 14. They won the NL East and are in line to secure the NL’s No. 2 seed.

No other team has clinched a postseason berth yet, though the same 12 teams have been in playoff position since July 11.

The Blue Jays and Tigers are in a race to be first in the American League, with magic numbers at four and six, respectively.

On the NL side, the Cubs, Dodgers and Padres have playoff odds above 99%, according to FanGraphs. The Brewers and Dodgers are in position to win their divisions, while the Cubs currently hold the top wild card. The Mets are also in wild-card position.

In the AL, the Tigers, Blue Jays and Yankees all have playoff odds of 99% or better. Also in playoff position are the Red Sox, Astros and Mariners. The Tigers, Blue Jays and Mariners currently lead their divisions, with the Yankees, Red Sox and Astros making up the wild-card field. 

But someone could still shake up the wild-card picture, as the Rangers and Guardians are within 3 games of the Astros for the final spot in the AL, and the Diamondbacks, Giants and Reds are within 2 games of the Mets for the final spot in the NL.

Which of these MLB stars will lead his team to a World Series title this fall? (Davis Long/Yahoo Sports)

Once a team clinches its ticket to the postseason, there’s still a lot to play for. Beyond division leads and wild cards, teams could be battling for playoff positioning until the final weekend of the season.

The Nos. 1 and 2 seeds in each league go to the division winners with the two best records. Those teams earn a bye through the wild-card round and hosting rights in the division series. Currently, the Brewers, Phillies, Tigers and Blue Jays are in line to claim those byes.

The No. 3 seed goes to the third division winner, and that team will host the three-game wild-card series against the No. 6 seed (which goes to the third wild card). The top wild-card team will earn the No. 4 seed and host the No. 5 seed (the second wild card) in the wild-card round.

The higher seed also gets home-field advantage in the championship series, once we get that far.

No longer do teams play a Game 163 if they finish the season tied. Instead, tiebreakers are determined by head-to-head records first and, if needed, intradivision records second.

Here are the tiebreakers that could come into play:

  • The Blue Jays have clinched the tiebreaker against the Red Sox, Yankees and Tigers.

  • The Red Sox have clinched the tiebreaker against the Yankees.

  • The Tigers have clinched the tiebreaker against the Astros.

  • The Mets have clinched the tiebreaker against the Phillies and Padres.

  • The Phillies have clinched the tiebreaker against the Dodgers.

  • The Cubs have clinched the tiebreaker against the Brewers.

  • The Dodgers have clinched the tiebreaker against the Padres.

  • The Astros have clinched the tiebreaker against the Blue Jays.

  • The Astros and Mariners are 5-5 this season with three games left to play.

(Davis Long/Yahoo Sports)

Wild card: No. 6 Houston Astros vs. No. 3 Seattle Mariners
ALDS: Wild-card winner vs. No. 2 Detroit Tigers

Wild card: No. 5 Boston Red Sox vs. No. 4 New York Yankees
ALDS: Wild-card winner vs. No. 1 Toronto Blue Jays

Wild card: No. 6 New York Mets vs. No. 3 L.A. Dodgers
NLDS: Wild-card winner vs. No. 2 Philadelphia Phillies

Wild card: No. 5 San Diego Padres vs. No. 4 Chicago Cubs
NLDS: Wild-card winner vs. No. 1 Milwaukee Brewers

Game 1: Tuesday, Sept. 30
Game 2: Wednesday, Oct. 1
Game 3: Thursday, Oct. 2*

ALDS

Game 1: Saturday, Oct. 4
Game 2: Sunday, Oct. 5
Game 3: Tuesday, Oct. 7
Game 4: Wednesday, Oct. 8*
Game 5: Friday, Oct. 10*

NLDS

Game 1: Saturday, Oct. 4
Game 2: Monday, Oct. 6
Game 3: Wednesday, Oct. 8
Game 4: Thursday, Oct. 9*
Game 5: Saturday, Oct. 11*

ALCS

Game 1: Sunday, Oct 12
Game 2: Monday, Oct. 13
Game 3: Wednesday, Oct. 15
Game 4: Thursday, Oct. 16
Game 5: Friday, Oct. 17*
Game 6: Sunday, Oct. 19*
Game 7: Monday, Oct. 20*

NLCS

Game 1: Monday, Oct 13
Game 2: Tuesday, Oct. 14
Game 3: Thursday, Oct. 16
Game 4: Friday, Oct. 17
Game 5: Saturday, Oct. 18*
Game 6: Monday, Oct. 20*
Game 7: Tuesday, Oct. 21*

Game 1: Friday, Oct. 24
Game 2: Saturday, Oct. 25
Game 3: Monday, Oct. 27
Game 4: Tuesday, Oct. 28
Game 5: Wednesday, Oct. 29*
Game 6: Friday, Oct. 31*
Game 7: Saturday, Nov. 1*

(*if necessary)

Brooklyn Nets jersey history No. 24 – Billy Schaefer (1973-76)

The Brooklyn Nets have 52 jersey numbers worn by over 600 different players over the course of their history since the franchise was founded in 1967 as a charter member of the American Basketball Association (ABA), when the team was known as the “New Jersey Americans”.

Since then, that league has been absorbed by the NBA with the team that would later become the New York Nets and New Jersey Nets before settling on the name by which they are known today, bringing their rich player and jersey history with them to the league of today.

To commemorate the players who played for the Nets over the decades wearing those 52 different jersey numbers, Nets Wire is covering the entire history of the franchise’s jersey numbers and the players who sported them since the founding of the team. The 25th of those 52 different numbers is jersey No. 24, which has has had a total of 20 players wear the number in the history of the team.

The third of those players wearing No. 23 played in the (then) New York (now, Brooklyn) Nets era, forward Billy Schaeffer. After ending his college career at St. John’s, Schaeffer was picked up with the 23rd overall selection of the 1973 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Bellerose, New York native elected to sign with New York instead in the ABA, and would play parts of the first three seasons of his pro career with the team before he was dealt to the (defunct) Virginia Squires in 1976.

During his time suiting up for the Nets, Schaeffer wore only jersey Nos. 15 and 24 and put up 5.6 points and 1.9 rebounds per game.

All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference.

This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets jersey history No. 24 – Billy Schaefer (1973-76)

Mission Hills (Calif.) places multiple football coaches on paid leave due to investigation

California’s No. 14 ranked high school football team has placed its head coach and multiple assistants on paid administrative leave pending the result of an investigation by the school.

According to Daygofootball.com, Mission Hills head coach Chris Hauser and assistants Thomas Altiero, Edward Nuckols have been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an current investigation. The school added in the email sent out to families that due to the investigation being active that no further details can be provided at this time.

Here is the emailed letter sent out the families of students at Mission Hills regarding the football coaching staff, penned principal Nathan Baker is down below:

Dear Mission Hills High School Football Families,
We want to inform you that members of our high school football coaching staff, Chris Hauser, Thomas Altieri, and Edward Nuckols, have been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an ongoing investigation. Because the investigation is active, we are not able to provide additional details at this time. Our top priority is the safety and wellbeing of our students. We are committed to supporting our student-athletes and ensuring the football program continues with stability and as little disruption as possible. In the interim, DJ Zapata, will be acting head coach during this time. We will communicate updates as appropriate. We appreciate your understanding and continued support of our students and school community.

Hauser is currently up for the Los Angeles Chargers Coach of the Week after Mission Hills’ 31-21 win over Granite Hills last week.

The Grizzlies are currently 4-0 on the season and are scheduled to be taking the field this Friday night against Ramona (2-2). Mission Hills is off to a fast start this season with victories coming over Quartz Hill, Oakridge, Oceanside and Granite Hills.

How to Follow California High School Football

For California high school football fans looking to keep up with scores around the nation, staying updated on the action is now easier than ever with the Rivals High School Scoreboard. This comprehensive resource provides real-time updates and final scores from across the Golden State, ensuring you never miss a moment of the Friday night frenzy. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the Rivals High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the high school football excitement across the state of California.

Eagles lineman calls latest tush push criticism ‘bullcrap’ after win over Chiefs: ‘It makes my blood boil’

Philadelphia Eagles left tackle Jordan Mailata has had it with the “tush push” criticism.

Mailata ripped critics of the Eagles’ trademark play during an appearance with 94 WIP on Tuesday, just days after they held on to grab a 20-17 win over the Kansas City Chiefs.

“You know I think it’s bullcrap,” Mailata said, via ESPN. “I just think it’s rubbish. Absolute rubbish, man. It makes my blood boil just thinking about it.”

While it’s not the tush push itself that is drawing such renewed criticism in recent days — the play has been around for years, and it survived another movement to ban it this past offseason — it’s how the Eagles were seen utilizing it in Kansas City that left fans upset.

There was at least one replay from Sunday’s contest that showed a pair of Eagles lineman moving well before the snap on a tush push that resulted in a Jalen Hurts touchdown in the fourth quarter, though a false start penalty wasn’t called. That even drew criticism from Fox analyst Tom Brady on the broadcast.

“The ‘Brotherly Shove’ is awfully impossible to stop,” Brady said. “When you get a false start penalty like that, it’s even harder to stop. They missed that one pretty bad.”

Chiefs coach Andy Reid called out the false starts after the game, too. While that’s not the reason that the Chiefs lost by any means, it certainly didn’t help. And if the Eagles are getting an advantage by leaving earlier than they should, it’s only going to make the play harder to stop.

In total, the Eagles converted four first downs and scored a touchdown while using the tush push on Sunday against the Chiefs. Only one of their six attempts was stopped.

While Mailata gets why fans may not like the play itself, the veteran lineman isn’t here for fans blaming the team’s success on that play. That, he said, is “incredibly disrespectful.”

“I understand the outrage [over the tush push],” he said. “What I don’t understand is them using it as an excuse to why we won the game. I think it’s incredibly disrespectful to our defense and our special teams who balled out. And my brothers on defense and special teams who balled out that game, who had our backs when we weren’t moving the ball or weren’t doing anything.

“That pisses me off because we give so much to this game and to kind of base off a short-yardage play, that is a football play. And say that we won the game off that, but not how our defense played and not how our special teams have played, putting us in those positions.”

Hogan Hansen praises Bryce Underwood’s poise, leadership after breakout throw vs CMU

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Many will make their caveats, ‘It was just Central Michigan.’ Still, first-year Michigan football quarterback Bryce Underwood made a litany of NFL-caliber throws against the Chippewas on Saturday. Among them was a back-shoulder fade to tight end Hogan Hansen, the first catch of the season for the sophomore.

It was as impressive a throw as you’ll see at any point this season for any quarterback on any team, but Hansen wasn’t at all surprised that Underwood made the throw. In fact, as Hansen was streaking down the sideline, he somewhat expected that the ball would be precisely where only he could get it.

“I think that’s just like what 19 brings to the offense,” Hansen said. “Even when I was running the route, I was like, ‘Is he going to throw this ball (and) where he’s going to put it?’ And he put it literally in the perfect spot where no one but me could go up and catch it.

“He’s been doing that all camp, so it’s really nothing new for us. I just got to go and do my job.”

With that, Underwood isn’t just physically gifted in ways that other quarterbacks aren’t across the country; he is also quickly becoming a leader on the team.

Hansen was injured most of spring and most of fall camp, and somewhat languished, wishing he could have been a beneficiary of Underwood’s throws. But what he saw, watching from the sidelines, was a quarterback who wasn’t just gaining confidence; he was growing into a leadership role.

“Watching fall camp was kind of, I mean — it hurt me not being out there,” Hansen said. “But seeing the steps in maturity he took from spring ball to fall camp and how he carried himself, and just how he’s able to command the offense and really take a lead. And, when we needed, when maybe practice wasn’t going our way, taking a step in and being like, all right, bringing it together, we’re all good, just keep going.”

In Week 1, tight end Marlin Klein led the Wolverines in receiving, but after sustaining an injury in practice that week — and with Hansen still recovering from his own injury — the offense struggled against Oklahoma. But now, the maize and blue are set to head to Lincoln to face Nebraska, and the tight ends know that they’ll need to step up against the No. 1 pass defense in the country — a unit that hasn’t allowed 100 yards yet this season.

But with No. 19 slinging the ball, Hansen knows that his group can break through if there’s something of an aerial stalemate.

“We talk about, in our room, just like playing your role and doing whatever you need to do for the team to win,” Hansen said. “We got a bunch of guys that can go get it done, so at the end of the day, we just got to do our 1-11th, and like you said, give Bryce the opportunity if he needs to throw us the ball, go make a play, or go get nasty in the run game.”

Fans will be able to see Underwood and Hansen in action on Saturday with the road game at Memorial Stadium set for 3:30 p.m. EDT on CBS.

This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Bryce Underwood shows off NFL-caliber throw in Central Michigan game

Cal Raleigh breaks Mickey Mantle, Ken Griffey Jr’s switch-hitter homer record with No. 56

Seattle’s Cal Raleigh broke Mickey Mantle’s and Ken Griffey Jr.’s record for homers by a switch-hitter when he hit his 56th of the season off Royals right-hander Michael Wacha with nobody out in the third inning of Tuesday night’s game in Kansas City.

Raleigh had tied the mark set by the Yankees star in 1961 with a first-inning drive against the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday.

He hit the 55th in the third inning, breaking Mantle’s record. His 56th was in the fourth inning, breaking Griffey Jr.’s.

Raleigh, who had doubled in his first at-bat of the series-opener against the Royals, was batting left-handed when fouled off Wacha’s changeup and took a sinker for a ball before sending a hanging curveball 419 feet over the right-field fence.

He got a standing ovation from a small group of Mariners fans behind the visiting dugout. Many Royals fans applauded, too.

Raleigh, who hit 34 homers last season, also moved within one of the Seattle record of 56, which Ken Griffey Jr. set in 1997 and matched the next year. Raleigh already broke Javy Lopez’s record of 43 homers hit by a player while playing catcher.

NFL Power Rankings: New rankings show L.A. Chargers to be legit contenders

NFL Power Rankings: New rankings show L.A. Chargers to be legit contenders
originally appeared on The Sporting News

It’s only two games into the 2025 NFL season, but the Los Angeles Chargers currently sit atop the AFC West. In addition, both of their victories are over divisional opponents and they have a chance to get a third this Sunday against the Denver Broncos. 

The Chargers have looked good in each of their victories and quarterback Justin Herbert appears to be turning into the guy fans have waited so long to see. In two games, Herbert has completed a ridiculous 72 percent of his throws while tossing five touchdowns without turning the ball over yet. That’s winning football and if the Chargers keep playing like this, they are going to be tough for anyone to beat. 

In his weekly power rankings, Vinnie Iyer of The Sporting News didn’t see enough to move the Chargers up the ladder. They remain at No. 6, but with a win over Denver this week, it would be hard to deny them a spot in the top 5. 

“The Chargers have gone full Jim Harbaugh, unleashing Justin Herbert vs. Kansas City and Las Vegas and letting everyone know they have the potential to win the division and become conference champions. They are 2-0 in the division with Denver next”, wrote Iyer.

If the Chargers get out to a 3-0 start with all three of those victories coming within the division, they are going to announce themselves as one of the league’s top contenders this season. There is still a long road ahead, but there is no doubt that Jim Harbaugh is building a winner here. 

READ:Has former Chargers star played his last game in the NFL?

If the team keeps getting big plays from guys like Quentin Johnston and if they can get the run game rolling, look out. 

MORE CHARGERS CONTENT

NFL Picks, Predictions Week 2: Los Angeles Chargers vs. Las Vegas Raiders

Chargers undrafted rookie may bring his Cinderella story to ‘Monday Night Football’

Chargers release former first-round pick and running back, sign new linebacker

NFL Power Rankings: L.A. Chargers join league’s elite following huge Week 1 win

Most home runs by a switch hitter: How Cal Raleigh’s MLB record HR total in 2025 compares to Mickey Mantle

Most home runs by a switch hitter: How Cal Raleigh’s MLB record HR total in 2025 compares to Mickey Mantle
originally appeared on The Sporting News

Hitting a baseball is considered one of the hardest things to do in sports. While most players hit from the side of the plate that aligns with their dominant hand, some have developed the skill to hit effectively from both sides of the plate.

Switch hitters tend to see the handedness of the pitcher they are about to face, and they will swing from the opposite batter’s box. This gives them an advantage to see a better angle on the release of the baseball, and since the sport is a game of seconds, they will take any advantage they can get. 

Switch-hitting is already an impressive feat, but doing it for power is even more impressive. The all-time single-season home run record belongs to Barry Bonds, who hit 73 in 2001. To illustrate the difficulty of switch hitting, the most home runs by a switch hitter in a single season heading into 2025 was 54, set by Mickey Mantle in 1961.

However, Mantle’s record has officially been broken as of Sept. 16, 2025. While other players have come close, including 45 by Chipper Jones in 1999, it was Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh who was saw beach balls at the plate in 2025 en route to the new record for homers by a switch-hitter. Not long prior, Raleigh claimed the MLB record for single-season homers by a catcher as well.

Here is more on how Raleigh’s 2025 campaign set the new record for the highest home-run total all-time for a switch-hitter in a single season.

MORE:16 NFL stars you never knew were also drafted by MLB teams

1. Cal Raleigh, 56, Mariners (2025)

Cal Raleigh came out of nowhere in 2025. He had been in the majors for four seasons with Seattle and had risen to prominence for being a switch-hitter and for his nickname being “Big Dumper” because of his ample posterior. Still, over his first four seasons, the most home runs he hit were 34 in 2024. Raleigh had steadily been improving since his debut in 2021, but his 30 home runs in 2023 and 34 the following year felt like they were his ceiling.

Raleigh then set the record for most home runs hit by a catcher before the All-Star break. He went on to win the Home Run Derby and set his sights on more records. He surpassed Salvador Perez for the most home runs hit by a catcher on Aug. 24, hitting two home runs against the Athletics. 

CAL RALEIGH’S 49TH HOMER! THE MOST BY A CATCHER IN A SEASON IN MLB HISTORY! pic.twitter.com/wFXLoCkQyG

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) August 24, 2025

{C}%3C!%2D%2D%253Cscript%2520async%2520src%253D%2522https%253A%252F%252Fplatform.twitter.com%252Fwidgets.js%2522%2520charset%253D%2522utf-8%2522%253E%253C%252Fscript%253E%2D%2D%3E

On Sept. 14, Raleigh tied Mantle for the most homers by a switch-hitter with his 54th. 

No. 54! 🔱

Cal Raleigh ties Mickey Mantle for the most homers EVER in a single season by a switch-hitter! pic.twitter.com/8qYwEm08tW

— MLB (@MLB) September 14, 2025

Just two days later, Raleigh put himself alone among power-hitting switch-hitters in MLB history. He swatted his 55th and 56th home run of the 2025 season, surpassing Mantle for the new record.

MORE: Most home runs by a catcher in a single season

2. Mickey Mantle, 54, Yankees (1961)

Mickey Mantle is one of the greatest baseball players of all time. Known as “the Mick” and “the Commerce Comet,” Mantle debuted for the Yankees in 1951 and spent his entire 17-year career with the franchise. He was a 20x All-Star and won seven World Series titles in New York. Mantle was a three-time MVP, led the American League in home runs four times and his No. 7 is retired by the Yankees. Mantle was a first ballot Hall of Famer, inducted in 1974. 

Mantle’s 1961 season was one for the record books. Both he and teammate Roger Maris were chasing Babe Ruth’s 162-game home run record. Maris ended up winning their battle, hitting 61, and Mantle finished with 54 before an injury sidelined the rest of his regular season. He returned in the playoffs, still battling injuries, but that didn’t stop him from hitting a home run against the Reds.

Mantle’s record of 54 switch-hitting homers held for 64 years before Raleigh broke it.

MORE: Oldest MLB players to participate in a game

3. Mickey Mantle, 52, Yankees (1956)

Mickey Mantle finds himself on this list for the second time, and spoiler alert, it won’t be the last time you see him. The center fielder was only 24 years old in 1956, but he flirted with history even then, falling nine home runs shy of breaking Babe Ruth’s single-season record. Ruth hit 60 in a single season in 1927. While 1961 was the year he hit the most home runs in a season in his career, 1956 was even more special because he not only hit 52 home runs, but also won his first MVP Award. 

MORE: Revisiting Lou Gehrig’s ‘Luckiest Man Alive’ speech

T-4. Chipper Jones, 45, Braves (1999)

Chipper Jones is one of the best third basemen in the history of baseball. He spent his entire 18-year career in Atlanta, was an eight-time All-Star and was named the NL MVP in 1999. Jones had his No. 10 retired by the Braves and was a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 2018. He finished his career with 468 home runs, the third most in a switch-hitter’s career at the time.

You could argue that Jones shouldn’t have been the NL’s MVP in 1999. He didn’t lead the league in home runs, RBI or batting average. Jones finished with great numbers, hitting .319 with 45 home runs and 110 RBI. Still, he received 29 of 32 first-place MVP votes, with many saying his four home runs and seven RBI in a critical late-season series against the Mets that helped the Braves make the playoffs as what earned him the award. 

MORE: Bob Uecker’s greatest quotes

T-4. Lance Berkman, 45, Astros (2006)

Lance Berkman was one of the famous Killer B’s in Houston. The group consisted of Sean Berry, Derek Bell, Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell, and they were some of the best hitters in the franchise’s history that all happened to be playing at the same time. When Berry and Bell left the team, Berkman fit in perfectly and took up the mantle. 

He had a 14-year career, spending 11 of them in Houston. Berkman was a six-time All-Star, was the Comeback Player of the Year Award in 2011 and won the World Series that year with the Cardinals.

MORE: Is sign stealing illegal in baseball?

6. Anthony Santander, 44, Orioles (2024)

Anthony Santander came into the league in 2017 in the Orioles organization. While he always had a good swing, it felt like his power numbers were never going to be what he was known for. Then, something happened in 2024. 

Santander launched 44 home runs in Baltimore, on his way to his first and only All-Star nod. It was a result that saw him get paid in the offseason by the Blue Jays, but he struggled to stay healthy in Toronto and didn’t come close to reproducing his power from the year before. 

MORE: MLB pitchers with 3,000 strikeouts

7. Mark Teixeira, 43, Rangers (2005)

Mark Teixeira had a 13-year career from 2003 to 2016. He came up with the Rangers but was part of an infamous trade with the Braves in 2007. Teixeira turned down a monster eight-year, $140 million deal from Texas, and they traded him to the Braves for Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Elvis Andrus, Neftali Feliz and two other prospects. The trade became infamous because the first baseman signed a one-year deal for 2008 with Atlanta but was then traded to the Angels for Casey Kotchman. He finished out that season with L.A. and then signed an eight-year, $180 million deal with the Yankees. 

Teixeira was always serviceable, but he never re-captured the success he had in 2005 with the Rangers. 

MORE: Meet Glenn Burke, MLB’s first openly gay player

T-8. Mickey Mantle, 42, Yankees (1958)

Mickey Mantle makes his third appearance on this list thanks to his 1958 campaign that resulted in 42 deep flies. He hit .304 that season and added 97 RBI. Part of the reason Mantle didn’t have as many home runs is that he was walked 129 times that year. That was the second-most walks Mantle drew in a single season in his career. Although an updated exact metric isn’t readily available, Plate Crate determined that the average MLB hitter drew 45 walks in 2022. Mantle would have drawn nearly three times the amount of walks as a regular hitter in 1958.

MORE: Why is Jhostynxon Garcia nicknamed “The Password”

T-8. Lance Berkman, 42, Astros (2002)

Lance Berkman makes his second appearance on this list. In each of his first four seasons in Houston, Berkman improved. He hit four home runs in limited action as a rookie, then hit 21 in 2000, 34 in 2001 and then 42 in 2002. That marked the second season that he was named an All-Star and he finished third in MVP voting, which was the second-highest finish of his career for the award. 29 of Berkman’s home runs that season came before the All-Star break which had him in a tie for the most before the break by a switch hitter, before that was broken in 2025 by Cal Raleigh.

Berkman was also known for his fielding. The same year that he hit 42 home runs, he made an incredible running catch up the hill, yes you read that right, that used to be in center field in Houston.

MORE: How Yankees threatened single-game HR record vs. Rays

T-10. Todd Hundley, 41, Mets (1996)

Todd Hundley may be the first one on this list that younger baseball fans haven’t heard of. He played in the bigs for 13 years from 1990 to 2003. His 1996 season was his best with 41 home runs, and he wasn’t able to hit more than 30 in any of his other seasons. He was an All-Star twice in his career, with 1996 being his first. Like Raleigh, Hundley was also a catcher, but he bounced around the NL with the Mets, Dodgers and Cubs back when there wasn’t a DH in the National League, so he caught every game he played. 

MORE: How Cal Raleigh honored his Mariners teammates at the Little League Classic

T-10. Carlos Beltran, 41, Mets (2006)

Carlos Beltran had a 19-year career that spanned three decades. He debuted in 1998 with the Royals, but he is most known for his tenure with the Mets from 2005 to 2011. Beltran won the 1999 Rookie of the Year Award, was named an All-Star nine times, and infamously won the 2017 World Series with the Astros. He finished with 435 career home runs, the fourth-most by a switch-hitter. His best season came in 2006 when he clobbered 41 home runs. Beltran won a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Award that season, and finished fourth in MVP voting. 

MORE:Ranking the 11 most memorable Subway Series moments in history