Cal Raleigh makes history in Atlanta: first catcher to win MLB's Home Run Derby

Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh made Major League Baseball history by becoming the first catcher to win the MLB Home Run Derby , held at Truist Park in Atlanta as part of All-Star Week 2025.

With a consistent performance throughout the event and a final round of 18 home runs, Raleigh surpassed the young Tampa Bay Rays third baseman, Junior Caminero, who finished with 15 home runs. Raleigh entered the Derby with 38 regular season home runs, just one shy of Barry Bonds ' record before the 2001 All-Star break. The catcher is 12 home runs away from reaching an unprecedented mark for his position: 50 home runs in a single season.

In the final round, Raleigh hit 18 home runs, enough to surpass Dominican Caminero, who couldn't match the left-handed catcher's rhythm. One of Raleigh 's hits landed in the stadium's pool, becoming one of the highlights of the event. Caminero, at 22, came close to winning the title, but his attempt to tie the game in the final seconds fell short.

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Raleigh didn't have an easy ride. In the first round, he tied Brent Rooker of the Oakland Athletics with 17 home runs. His place in the semifinals came down to less than an inch. In that instance, the catcher faced Oneil Cruz, who had hit 21 home runs in the first round, including a 520-foot blast that left the crowd breathless. However, Raleigh responded with 19 home runs to seal his ticket to the final.

Caminero , meanwhile, outlasted Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins in a close semifinal. Buxton had already hit seven home runs, and Caminero needed to step up his game in the final minute to reach the eight needed to advance.

First round:

Oneil Cruz: 21

Junior Caminero: 21

Byron Buxton: 20

Cal Raleigh: 17 (qualified on tiebreaker)

Brent Rooker: 17 (eliminated)

James Wood: 16 (eliminated)

Matt Olson: 15 (eliminated)

Jazz Chisholm Jr.: 3 (eliminated)

Semifinals:

Cal Raleigh: 19

Oneil Cruz: 13

Junior Caminero: 8

Byron Buxton: 7

End:

Cal Raleigh: 18 (champion)

Junior Caminero: 15

In addition to Raleigh 's achievement, the Derby featured spectacular moments like Oneil Cruz 's 520-foot "missile," which drew a standing ovation from Truist Park . It also highlighted the power of Caminero , whose home runs captured from video game-like angles dominated social media. Although Jazz Chisholm Jr. only managed to hit three home runs, he was one of the players most cheered by the fans.

With 38 home runs this season at the time of the Derby , Cal Raleigh is aiming to reach 50 home runs before the end of the season, a milestone no catcher has reached. The previous record was 45, set by Javy López in 2003.

As the regular season resumes after the All-Star Game, Raleigh not only takes home the Derby trophy, but also emerges as one of the offensive figures of the year in MLB .

His victory in Atlanta will go down as one of the milestones of modern baseball: the day a catcher dominated the biggest power show of the summer.