Cal Raleigh of Seattle Triumphs in 2025 Home Run Derby

Cal Raleigh, taking center stage for the Seattle Mariners, clinched his first Home Run Derby victory, defeating the competition with a score of 18-15 against Tampa Bay's Junior Caminero in the finale.

Journey to Victory

Known by fans as Big Dumper, Raleigh demonstrated his power-hitting prowess by advancing past the first round in a thrilling tiebreaker, narrowly edging out Brent Rooker of the Athletics by mere inches. He went on to dominate the semifinals, securing a 19-13 win over Oneil Cruz from Pittsburgh. Cruz had earlier dazzled with a 513-foot blast, the evening’s furthest.

In the final showdown, the 22-year-old Caminero reduced Raleigh's lead to just three homers, opting to take several pitches before sending a sharp hit to left field.

Historic Achievement

Raleigh achieved a historic first by becoming the lone switch-hitter and catcher to secure the Derby title. By the All-Star break, he had amassed an impressive 38 home runs, leading the majors. This win made him just the second player from the Mariners to achieve this feat, following in the footsteps of Ken Griffey Jr., a three-time champion.

Family Connection

Assisting Cal in his Derby challenge was his father, Todd Raleigh, a renowned former coach at Tennessee and Western Carolina, who pitched to him. His younger sibling, Todd Raleigh Jr., took on the role of catcher.

As a rare Derby switch-hitter, a distinction shared only with Baltimore's Adley Rutschman in 2023, Cal began with his first eight hits from the left side, paused, then executed seven from the right. Returning to his left-handed stance, he added two more in the bonus period and maintained this form for the concluding rounds.

A Glimpse at the Competitors

In another semifinal, Junior Caminero narrowly defeated Byron Buxton from Minnesota 8-7. The preliminary round saw the exit of several big names, including Atlanta’s Matt Olson, Washington’s James Wood, New York Yankees’ Jazz Chisholm Jr., and Brent Rooker of the Athletics.

In an impressive performance, both Cruz and Caminero recorded 21 homers each, while Buxton hit 20. Raleigh's victory over Rooker came down to a tiebreaker, with Raleigh’s longest at 470.61 feet surpassing Rooker's 470.53 feet.

Cruz's initial round featured the hardest hit at 118 mph.

Home Run Derby Highlights

Notably, the longest recorded derby home run tracked since 2016 by Statcast was Juan Soto’s 520-foot shot in the thin air of Denver at Coors Field in 2021. Last year's standout at Arlington was marked by a 473-foot hit from Atlanta's Marcell Ozuna.

James Wood managed an impressive 16 homers, which included a massive 486-foot shot that reached the rooftop of the Chop House beyond the right-field barrier. Meanwhile, disappointing local fans, Olson could not capitalize initially, finishing with 15 homers, mirroring his first-round elimination result from 2021. Jazz Chisholm, with a mere three homers, marked the lowest total since the timer format was implemented in 2015.