Seattle Mariners manager Dan Wilson sees similarities in Cal Raleigh's 2025 season and Ken Griffey Jr.'s 1998 campaign where the latter tied his own franchise record with 56 home runs.
Wilson, who played with Griffey in 1998, believes Raleigh is showing the same type of power after the catcher matched Griffey's team-record 35 homers before the All-Star break with two long balls Friday against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
"It's remarkable. It feels like he hits a home run every game, that's what it feels like," Wilson said following the 6-0 win, according to Andrew Destin of The Associated Press. "And I can remember feeling it as a player, that (Griffey) just felt like he hit a home run every day.
"Again, that's the consistency that (Raleigh) has shown. It hasn't been a streak where he has hit a bunch of home runs in a short amount of time. It's been kind of 10 per month."
Raleigh is now on pace to hit an MLB-best 64 homers to break Griffey's single-season franchise mark.
"To be mentioned with that name, somebody that's just iconic, a legend, first-ballot Hall of Famer, I'm just blessed,” Raleigh said. "Trying to do the right thing and trying to keep it rolling. If I can try to be like that guy, it's a good guy to look up to.”
Raleigh added that he always enjoys chatting with Griffey.
"It’s always fun to have him around the clubhouse to just talk to him a little bit and figure out how he went about his business," Raleigh said. "So, I've talked to him on the phone once or twice as well. So, he's a good one. He's one of the best of all-time. It's hard to beat talking to somebody like that."
The 28-year-old will also take part in this year's Home Run Derby - an event Griffey won on three occasions (1994, 1998, 1999).