Cal Raleigh Makes MLB History as First Catcher to Win All-Star Home Run Derby on www.jrgdaphne.com
ATLANTA — Seattle Mariners slugger and MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh carved his name into the history books Monday night, becoming the first catcher ever to win the MLB All-Star Home Run Derby. Raleigh defeated Tampa Bay Rays rising star Junior Caminero in the final round, hitting 18 home runs to Caminero’s 15 in a thrilling finish.
Raleigh, affectionately nicknamed “Big Dumper,” joins Ken Griffey Jr. as the only Mariners to ever win the Derby a fitting honor for a player leading the league in home runs this season.
“Usually, the guy with the most homers doesn’t win it,” Raleigh said after the event. “So yeah, this surprised me just as much as anyone.”
A Family Affair
Adding to the emotional weight of the night, Raleigh was pitched to by his father, Todd Raleigh, a former college baseball coach at Tennessee and Western Carolina. His younger brother, Todd Jr., handled catching duties, making the victory a true family moment.
“It’s every kid’s dream,” said Raleigh’s father. “And as a parent, you just want your child to experience joy like this. That’s what tonight was.”
Narrow Escape, Big Finish
Raleigh’s road to victory almost ended early. In Round 1, he tied Oakland’s Brent Rooker with 17 home runs and advanced only by the slimmest of margins Raleigh’s longest homer measured 470.61 feet, just 0.08 feet farther than Rooker’s 470.53.
“An inch the other way and I’m not even in the final four,” Raleigh laughed. “Guess I owe that to one extra biscuit.”
He ended the night with a total of 54 home runs, putting on a show for fans in every round.
Switch-Hitter Surprise
In an impressive twist, Raleigh also became the first switch-hitter to win the Derby, smashing 10 homers left-handed and seven right-handed in Round 1 wowing the crowd with both power and versatility.
His brother, known by the nickname “T,” cheered him on the entire time from behind the plate.
“His swagger, the way he plays, the hustle I just admire it all,” said T.
Memorable Moments and Contenders
The first round also saw some fireworks from other competitors:
• Oneil Cruz smashed a 513-foot homer the longest of the night and one of only six Derby homers over 500 feet since Statcast began tracking.
• Jazz Chisholm Jr. had a rough outing with only three home runs but embraced the moment.
“Still an All-Star, still hit in the Derby that’s a dream,” Chisholm said.
• Caminero, Cruz, Buxton, and Raleigh advanced to the semifinals, but it was the Mariners’ slugger who stayed consistent through every round.
A Controversial Ending for Rooker
Brent Rooker voiced concern over a miscommunication in the rules, saying he was told he could take two pitches but wasn’t informed that his total pitch count was already set at 40 balls.
“By the end, we had five seconds left and no baseballs to hit,” Rooker explained. “That was frustrating.”
A Derby to Remember
From nearly missing the cut to dominating the final, Cal Raleigh’s Home Run Derby win was not only historic but emotional a moment shared with family, teammates, and fans who witnessed a catcher do what no one before him had.
“This was bigger than baseball,” his father said. “This was a dream come true.”
