Five takeaways from 2025 MLB Home Run Derby

The 2025 MLB Home Run Derby took center stage on Monday at Truist Park in Atlanta, the home of the Braves. Eight MLB sluggers stepped up to the plate, with one being crowned the champion.

Here are five key takeaways from this year's Home Run Derby.

It's a game of inches

In the closest finish in Home Run Derby history, Cal Raleigh and Brent Rooker each launched 17 home runs in the first round, leading to a tiebreaker to determine who would advance to the semifinals. With no swing-off permitted, the decision hinged on the longest home run. Though both were officially recorded at 471 feet, the precise measurements told the final answer. Raleigh’s blast traveled 470.61 feet, narrowly edging out Rooker’s 470.53 by 0.08 feet — less than an inch.

Bat speed is key

Among the eight participants' average bat speeds, Oneil Cruz ranked first at 78.6 mph, followed by Junior Caminero at 78mph. Cal Raleigh (75.1 mph) and Byron Buxton (75 mph) landed fourth and fifth, and fittingly, all four advanced to the semifinals, proving that elite bat speed was a key factor for success.

Not the winner, but the showstopper

Cruz delivered one of the most electrifying performances of the Derby despite losing in the semifinals. He launched 21 home runs in the first round, including a 513-foot blast that tied Aaron Judge for the longest non-Coors Field home run in Derby history. Cruz averaged 447 feet per home run and became the first Pirates player ever to advance past the opening round.