ATLANTA — Cal Raleigh became the first catcher to win the Home Run Derby on Monday night, besting Junior Caminero 18-15 in the final round at Truist Park.
Raleigh also became the first Seattle Mariners player to hoist the trophy since 1999, when Ken Griffey Jr. won his third title. Tampa Bay’s Caminero, who was vying to become the youngest winner in Derby history at 22, fell just short as the Rays’ first contestant since Randy Arozarena lost to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the 2023 final.
Raleigh, the major league’s leader in homers with 38, totaled 54 home runs on Monday. All was nearly lost in the opening round, as the Seattle star advanced to the semifinals on a tiebreaker, as his longest home run eclipsed Brent Rooker’s by the narrowest of margins — 470.61 feet to 470.53.
With father Todd Sr. pitching and younger brother Todd Jr. behind the plate, it was a family affair for Cal, who added to his spectacular 2025 campaign.
In the semifinals, Byron Buxton — facing Caminero — followed his 21-homer first round with a seven spot in the second round. Caminero blew past that total, needing just 12 swings to reach eight homers and advance to the final round. — Reuters
