The All Star week festivities continues with the Home Run Derby. Seven of the eight participants are in the Derby for the first time.
The Batters bring their own pitchers but for one of the batters it is truly a family affair. Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh not only has his Dad throwing the balls, his 15 year old little brother Todd will be behind the plate to catch the balls Cal doesn’t launch. Cal noted that it will be a great night no matter what happens.
The ESPY’s don’t air until Wednesday but ESPN has named the MLB Player of the Year – Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani!
“It’s about the bat you believe in and the dreams you let fly,” Chipper Jones in the Home Run Derby open.
The Rules:
All eight will bat in round one. Each batter has three minutes or 40 pitches with one timeout. There is also a bonus round with three outs – homer or out. If a ball is hit 425 feet, the batter gets a bonus out.
Round two is a bracket matchup – one and four, two and three. Batters get just minutes or 27 pitches with one timeout.
Kicking off the 2025 Home Run Derby, is Washington Nationals’ James Wood. Wood hit a total of 14 home runs; one of them 486 feet plus two more in the bonus round for a total of 16.
Athletics Brent Booker who also hit 14 homes runs with a bonus of three home runs for a total of 17 homers.
Up next is Tampa Bay Rays’ Junior Caminero who hit 18 home runs in 40 pitches. He had a bonus round of three homers for a total of 21 home runs. With two outs in the bonus round, Caminero hit a ball 475 feet to earn the extra out…and two more homers.
Pittsburgh Pirates’ Oneil Cruz hit 18 home runs; one of which went 488 feet and another one 513 feet! Cruz hit three bonus round home runs for a total of 21 homers.
Minnesota Twins’ Byron Buxton who hit14 home runs with a bonus round of six for a total of 20 homers.
New York Yankees’ Jazz Chisholm Jr hit just three home runs. He didn’t add any more in the bonus round.
While at Florida State, Seminoles fans named catcher Cal Raleigh “Shake and Bake”; but his Seattle Mariners teammates call him the “Big Dumper”. At 38 homers before the All Star break, Raleigh has 14 more homers than any of the other Derby participants. Raleigh is a switch hitter. He brings out two bats to switch sides during his timeout. Cal Raleigh hit 15 home runs. In the bonus round he added three more home runs for a total of 17 homers.
The final batter in round one is Atlanta Braves’ Matt Olson who is the only batter who has been in the Home Run Derby before. Olson is substituting for Ronald Acuna Jr who is out with back issues. He hit 15 home runs. Olson failed to hit any homers in the bonus round for a total of 15 home runs.
Totals in round one:
Jazz Chisholm Jr – 3
Matt Olson – 15
James Wood – 16
Cal Raleigh – 17
Brent Booker – 17
Byron Buxton – 20
Junior Caminero – 21
O’Neil Cruz – 21
Cal Raleigh, Byron Buxton, Junior Caminero, and O’Neil Cruz will move on to the second round.
Byron Buxton and Junior Caminero will go head-to-head with Cal Raleigh and O’Neil Cruz going head-to-head.
The home runs in round one do not move on to the second round. In this round the batters have only two minutes and 27 pitches.
Byron Buxton hit six home runs plus one in the bonus round for a total of seven.
Junior Caminero hit eight home runs with about a minute left on the clock.
Junior Caminero moves on to the final round.
Cal Raleigh chose to bat left handed for this round and hit 16 in two minutes and 27 balls. Raleigh added three more for a total of 19 home runs.
Eduardo Perez noted that it was fitting a Seminole hit it to the Chop House.
O’Neil Cruz hit 10 home runs in two minutes; he added three more for a total of 13 home runs.
Junior Caminero will face Cal Raleigh in the final round of the 2025 Home Run Derby.
Cal Raleigh goes first and has two minute and 27 pitches to hit as many home runs as he can. Raleigh hit 15 homers with three more in the bonus round for a total of 18 homers…including a “Tomahawk Chop”!
Eduaredo Perez is enamoured with Cal Raleigh’s 15 year old brother Todd who is behind the plate.
Junior Caminero hit 14 home runs with 27 balls; he added just one more homer for a total of 15 home runs.
In his first Home Run Derby, Seattle Mariner catcher Cal Raleigh wins the 2025 Home Run Derby! He is the first catcher and switch pitcher to win the Derby.
When asked what he saw behind the plate, Todd Raleight Jur said, “greatness”.
