Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh stood on the brink of elimination in the first round of the 2025 Home Run Derby. He and Brent Rooker of the Athletics were tied with 17 home runs each, forcing the tiebreaker to a precise measurement of distance. Raleigh’s longest shot measured 470.61 feet–barely an inch longer than Rooker’s 470.53.
It was the thinnest of margins in a power contest defined by raw distance. Afterward, Raleigh shook his head at how close he’d come to going home early.
“An inch off, and I’m not even in the final four, which is amazing,” Raleigh said. “One extra biscuit.”
Rooker, meanwhile, was frustrated that the precise measurements weren’t shown in real-time during the round.
“Maybe if they have it to the decimal point, they should display that during the Derby and not wait till everyone’s done,” Rooker said. “Cal’s a great competitor. He put on a good performance too.”
Switch-Hitting Show in the Semifinal
The semifinal was a showdown of towering sluggers: Raleigh against Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz, who’d earlier launched a 513-foot blast–the longest homer of the night and in Truist Park Derby history. Raleigh, however, found his rhythm switching from the left side to the right and back again.
Raleigh hit 19 homers in the semis to Cruz’s 13. Asked about his unusual switch-hitting mid-round, Raleigh said he felt he was “grooving a little bit more lefty” and decided to keep going left-handed in the bonus minute.
It was a sign of confidence from a hitter who entered the Derby already leading the majors with 38 home runs at the All-Star break–the most ever for a catcher in AL history before the Midsummer Classic.
“I just tried to stay loose,” Raleigh said. “It’s tiring, but it’s a blast out there.”
Championship Round: Raleigh vs. Caminero
In the final, Raleigh faced Tampa Bay’s 22-year-old slugger Junior Caminero, one of the game’s rising stars. Caminero put up 15 home runs, but Raleigh topped him with 18, clinching the title and the $1 million winner’s check.
“It means the world. I could have hit zero home runs and had just as much fun,” Raleigh said afterward. “I just can’t believe I won. It’s unbelievable.”
Throughout the Derby, Raleigh’s father, Todd Sr., threw every pitch–as he has for his son countless times since Little League. His brother, Todd Jr., was stationed behind the plate as catcher, hyping him up.
A baseball signed by the #HRDerby champion, pitched by his father Todd Sr. and caught by his brother Todd Jr. is coming to Cooperstown.
“He was firing me up the whole time,” Raleigh said of his brother. “I don’t know–it just got me going.”
Todd Sr. added:
“Anybody that’s ever played baseball as a kid dreams of stuff like this. I dreamed of it. He dreamed of it. When you’re a parent, you look at it differently because you want your kids to be happy.”
📽️ ⚾️Video evidence circa 20 years ago, when Cal was only 8-years-old (shared via his dad, Todd, who will be throwing to him in Atlanta):
Historic Feat
Raleigh made history in multiple ways. He became the first catcher and the first switch-hitter ever to win the Home Run Derby. His final Derby total was 54 homers across all rounds, cementing a memorable performance.
Ken Griffey Jr., the Mariners icon and three-time Derby winner, was in the crowd capturing Raleigh’s victory on his phone. The connection wasn’t lost on Raleigh, who grew up watching Griffey’s Derby exploits.
“Growing up, you see all the guys like Griffey do it. To be out there and win it is surreal.”
Raleigh’s torrid first half, highlighted by leading the majors in homers, has already made him a star. Now he adds a Derby title to his resume, solidifying his place as one of baseball’s elite power threats.
“I really love the game of baseball. I really do,” Raleigh said. “It’s a game that you can love so much, and at the same time, when things go wrong, it can be one of the worst things in the world. That’s kind of what makes it so great.”
For Mariners fans, Raleigh’s win evoked echoes of Griffey’s legendary Derby performances. For the rest of baseball, it was a reminder that the man nicknamed “Big Dumper” is swinging his way into history.
Big Dumper Brings the Thunder to Derby Night, Makes History