Seattle’s Cal Raleigh captured his first Home Run Derby title on Monday night, outlasting Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero 18-15 in the final round.
Raleigh, who leads the majors with 38 home runs, became the first switch-hitter and catcher to claim the crown, joining Ken Griffey Jr. as the only Mariners player to win the event.
Nicknamed “Big Dumper,” Raleigh narrowly advanced past Brent Rooker of the Athletics in the first round on a tiebreaker by less than an inch. He then defeated Pittsburgh’s Oneil Cruz 19-13 in the semifinals. Cruz smashed a 513-foot homer, the night’s longest. In the final, Caminero closed within three but fell short after lining out to left field.
Raleigh was pitched to by his father, Todd, while his brother caught behind the plate. Displaying his switch-hitting power, Raleigh began left-handed, switched to right, then returned left for bonus time and the later rounds.
Other participants included Minnesota’s Byron Buxton, Atlanta’s Matt Olson, Washington’s James Wood, and the Yankees’ Jazz Chisholm Jr., who hit only three homers, the fewest since the timer format began in 2015. Wood launched a 486-foot blast onto the Chop House roof but was eliminated early.
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Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].