15 July 2025

Cal Raleigh Makes History as First Switch-Hitting Catcher to Win Home Run Derby in Seattle

ATLANTA — Cal Raleigh from Seattle clinched his first All-Star Home Run Derby title after leading the major leagues in home runs heading into the break. He triumphed over Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero, finishing 18-15 in the final round on Monday night. Raleigh, known as Big Dumper, advanced from the first round after a close tiebreaker against the Athletics’ Brent Rooker, winning by less than an inch.

In the semifinals, he defeated Pittsburgh’s Oneil Cruz 19-13, with Cruz hitting an impressive 513-foot drive, the longest of the night, over Truist Park’s right-center field seats. In the final round, the 22-year-old Caminero, hitting second, remained competitive by closing the gap with three home runs. However, Raleigh’s solid performance secured his victory.

With this win, Raleigh became the first switch-hitter and catcher to earn the Home Run Derby title, adding to his impressive season with a major league-leading 38 home runs. He is the second player from the Mariners to win the title, following the legendary Ken Griffey Jr., a three-time champion. For this event, Raleigh was pitched to by his father, Todd, a former coach at Tennessee and Western Carolina, while his brother, Todd Raleigh Jr., served as the catcher.

Raleigh began the Derby hitting left-handed, then switched to right-handed after taking a timeout. He ultimately decided to stay left-handed for the semifinal and final rounds. In other matchups, Caminero defeated Minnesota’s Byron Buxton 8-7 in the semifinals.

Several players, including Atlanta’s Matt Olson and the New York Yankees’ Jazz Chisholm Jr., were eliminated in the first round, with Olson finishing without a homer on his first nine swings, while Chisholm managed only three, marking the fewest since the timer format was introduced in 2015.