Cal Raleigh puts on show, wins Home Run Derby with dominant semifinal, final performances

Raleigh was a popular pick to win the Home Run Derby after belting a league leading 38 home runs in 94 games coming into the annual event. But Raleigh nearly bowed out in Round 1. The switch-hitter put 17 over the fence from both sides of the plate — the same amount as Athletics outfielder Brent Rooker — meaning the longest home run would decide who would get the final spot in Round 2.

Cal Raleigh wins Home Run Derby after controversial Round 1 ruling

Raleigh’s longest home run went 470.61 feet — Rooker’s longest went 470.53 feet. The less than an inch difference carried Raleigh to Round 2 and eliminated Rooker. From there, Raleigh hit 19 home runs in Round 2 to take down Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz, setting up a Final Round showdown with Caminero.

Caminero hit 15 home runs in the Final Round, three short of Raleigh’s 18. Raleigh is both the first catcher and switch-hitter to win the Home Run Derby.

“The whole night was amazing,” Raleigh told Karl Ravech of ESPN. “First All-Star appearance — got to experience the whole thing all day — the Derby, the media, meeting everybody and obviously, getting to win it is unbelievable. Getting to do it with my dad and my brother — I’m speechless.

“… He [his brother] was hyping me up all night. I’d hit one good, and he was jacked up back there. He was like, ‘Keep going.’ He was honestly the MVP of the night — talking to my dad, talking to me — it was awesome.”

Raleigh’s star continues to blossom in his fifth season in the league. The former FSU standout broke out in 2023 with 30 home runs but has now become the premier power hitter in all of baseball. With plenty of baseball to be played after the All-Star break, Raleigh has a chance to smash a pair of records.

The Kansas City Royals’ Salvador Perez set the single-season home run record for a catcher when he hit 48 home runs in 2021. Raleigh not only has a chance to surpass him but break Mickey Mantle‘s single-season record for the most home runs by a switch-hitter. Mantle hit 54 home runs in 1961.