Most home runs before MLB All-Star break: How Cal Raleigh's 2025 HR pace compares to Barry Bonds, other legends

Cal Raleigh has put up historical slugging numbers successful nan first half of nan 2025 MLB season.

While nan Mariners catcher's powerfulness hasn't wholly travel retired of bladed air — he deed astatine slightest 27 homers successful 2022, 2023, and 2024 — Raleigh has taken his bat to different level this season. He's MLB's location tally leader entering nan All-Star break, and though nan Midsummer Classic isn't nan midway constituent of nan play successful position of games played, it is considered nan play of nan play to bespeak connected first-half numbers.

As baseball's regular play hits region for nan All-Star festivities, Raleigh finds himself successful nan institution of immoderate all-time greats successful position of his homer full for nan first half. Not only did Raleigh travel wrong scope of Barry Bonds' grounds for astir dingers earlier nan All-Star break, but he's besides connected gait to person 1 of nan top slugging seasons ever, sloppy of era aliases position.

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As Raleigh, a uncommon switch-hitting catcher, continues to blast location runs astatine a historical rate, he's only going to propulsion himself person to mounting various MLB records.

From his unreal first-half location tally total, to his dependable gait successful perchance breaking nan single-season grounds for location runs by a catcher, here's a breakdown of Raleigh's slugging numbers truthful acold this play and really they stack up successful MLB history.

MORE: The afloat 2025 Home Run Derby bracket

Most location runs earlier All-Star break 

With nan All-Star break being nan unofficial midway constituent of MLB's season, it's considered nan benchmark for first-half performances. A very prime fewer hitters person mashed astatine slightest 30 location runs earlier nan All-Star break — a database that added Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge, and Pete Alonso successful caller years — but 35-plus homers earlier nan break is an moreover much exclusive club.

Bonds, MLB's all-time location tally king, holds nan grounds for astir homers earlier nan All-Star break pinch 39. That came successful 2001, erstwhile Bonds yet vanished pinch nan single-season grounds of 73 agelong balls.

The Orioles' Chris Davis astir tied Bonds' first-half grounds successful 2013, but he alternatively entered nan break pinch 37 homers. Now, successful 2025, Raleigh has put himself successful nan institution of immoderate legends pinch his 38 location runs earlier nan All-Star break.

The Mariners' prima already holds nan grounds for first-half homers by a catcher, surpassing Johnny Bench's people of 28 location runs successful 1970, and he came wrong conscionable 1 agelong shot of tying Bonds' record. 

Here's nan database of MLB players to deed astatine slightest 35 homers successful nan first half of nan season, a database that some Raleigh and Judge joined successful 2025:

MORE: A breakdown of nan longest homers successful Home Run Derby history

Mariners single-season HR record: How does Cal Raleigh comparison to Ken Griffey Jr.?

Seattle's single-season location tally grounds is 56, a people that was achieved by nan aforesaid subordinate twice: Ken Griffey Jr.

In 1997, "The Kid" put up a career-high 56 dingers on pinch his league-leading 147 RBIs, winning nan AL MVP award. Griffey Jr. past did it again successful 1998, blasting different 56 location runs while adding 146 RBIs for nan Mariners. 

Raleigh's 2025 play is already up to 16th successful Mariners' history successful position of single-season location runs. With a beardown 2nd half, nan catcher could surely make a push for Griffey's franchise record.

As of July 13, Raleigh was connected gait to swat a full of 64 location runs this season, which would surpass Griffey Jr.'s grounds by 8 and besides group a caller American League single-season record. The switch-hitter could moreover slow down his slugging gait successful nan 2nd half and still make squad history.

Here's a afloat look astatine nan Mariners' single-season location runs leaders:

MORE: Odds, betting favorites for 2025 Home Run Derby

Most location runs by a catcher successful a season

If Raleigh is search to group nan caller Mariners and American League single-season location tally record, past he's besides search to wholly shatter MLB's single-season people for homers by a catcher.

Widely considered nan astir difficult position to play owed to beingness requirements, owning nan work of calling pitches, and nan protect worth betwixt framing pitches and throwing retired runners, catchers person seldom deed 40-plus location runs successful a season. Their bats aren't usually arsenic valuable arsenic their glove, truthful power-hitting backstops for illustration Raleigh don't travel astir often — but location person been a fewer notable slugging catchers done nan years.

The existent grounds for single-season homers from a catcher came conscionable a fewer years ago, erstwhile nan Royals' Salvador Perez mashed 48 homers successful 2021 to surpass Johnny Bench's grounds of 45. In total, location person been conscionable 8 seasons successful which a catcher deed 40-plus location runs.

With his July 13 gait of 64 homers, Raleigh is search to wholly rustle nan single-season catcher grounds retired of nan water, needing conscionable 11 to execute nan feat.

Here's a look astatine nan astir single-season location runs by a catcher successful MLB history.

MORE: 10 players who were snubbed from MLB's 2025 All-Star teams

Can Cal Raleigh break Barry Bonds' location tally record?

Given his gait successful perchance breaking nan single-season location tally records for nan Mariners, American League, and catchers, it's not unfair to ask: Could Raleigh make a push for Bonds' grounds of 73 homers successful a season?

Entering nan All-Star break, nan Mariners' prima sits conscionable 1 location tally awkward of wherever Bonds did during his mythical 2001 campaign. Bonds had 39 location runs entering nan break; Raleigh has 38. In nan 2nd half, nan Giants' superstar coiled up hitting different 34 dingers, virtually keeping his elite location tally gait intact done nan remainder of nan 2001 season. 

Because he's already somewhat down successful pace, Raleigh breaking Bonds' single-season grounds is going to beryllium a important situation moreover if he continues to deed homers astatine nan complaint he did successful nan first half. As of July 13, Raleigh is connected gait for 64 location runs, which would put him 9 homers awkward of Bonds' grounds but still tied for 5th all-time and owning nan astir single-season location runs since 2001.

If Raleigh's going to propulsion disconnected MLB history, he isn't conscionable going to person to proceed his first-half pace — he'll person to slug astatine a somewhat higher rate. But pinch nan measurement he's been sending baseballs into nan seats complete nan past fewer months, it surely doesn't look impossible, particularly if he stays connected nan section and plays successful complete 155 games.

Here's a look astatine MLB's all-time single-season location tally leaders: