Takeaways from the Home Run Derby in Atlanta
Cal Raleigh is your 2025 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby champion!
The Seattle Mariners slugger not only takes home his first Derby tite in his first appearance after outlasting Tampa Bay Rays star Junior Caminero, but becomes the first catcher to ever win the Home Run Derby.
It was a power-packed night in Atlanta as Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz hit a ball a whopping 513 feet for the longest blast of the night before being eliminated in the semifinal. Hometown star Matt Olson of the Atlanta Braves was eliminated in the first round despite starting his outing off hot, while New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit just three in his first-round exit. Athletics DH Brent Rooker and Washington Nationals left fielder were the other two knocked out early, paving the way for Raleigh, Caminero, Cruz and Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton to take center stage at Truist Park.
We have your one-stop shop for everything Derby related, from the round-by-round results to our favorite moments from one of the most anticipated events of the summer.
Takeaways from the Home Run DerbyJorge Castillo: The Home Run Derby's tiebreaker rule for the first round needs an overhaul. Brent Rooker said he thought he was headed for a swing-off against Cal Raleigh to determine who advanced to the semifinals once he saw Raleigh had tied him with 17 home runs and a longest distance of 471 feet. He even got loose to prepare for one.
Then, Raleigh told Rooker that he was eliminated because Raleigh hit his longest home run at 470.61 feet to Rooker's 470.53, per Statcast. That difference, Rooker noted, was not displayed for the contestants to see and adjust accordingly. A difference that slim should fall within a margin for error (are we sure Statcast is that accurate?) and warrant a swing-off, which is the tiebreaker for the semifinals and final. The Derby almost always steers clear of any controversy. This year was a bit different.
MLB Home Run Derby resultsFinal Cal Raleigh (18) vs. Junior Caminero (15)
Semifinal 3. Byron Buxton (7) vs. 2. Junior Caminero (8)
4. Cal Raleigh (19) vs. 1. Oneil Cruz (13)
First round 1. James Wood: 16 home runs (eliminated) 2. Brent Rooker: 17 home runs (eliminated) 3. Junior Caminero: 21 home runs 4. Oneil Cruz: 21 home runs 5. Byron Buxton: 20 home runs 6. Jazz Chisholm Jr.: 3 home runs (eliminated) 7. Cal Raleigh: 17 home runs
8. Matt Olson: 15 home runs (eliminated)
Updates and analysis from the DerbyOur pre-Derby predictionsWho is going to win the Derby and who will be the runner-up?
Jeff Passan: Raleigh. His swing is perfect for the Derby: He leads MLB this season in both pull percentage and fly ball percentage, so it's not as if he needs to recalibrate it to succeed. He has also become a prolific hitter from the right side this season -- 16 home runs in 102 at-bats -- and his ability to switch between right- and left-handed pitching offers a potential advantage. No switch-hitter (or catcher for that matter) has won a Home Run Derby. The Big Dumper is primed to be the first, beating Buxton in the finals.
Alden Gonzalez: Cruz. He might be wildly inconsistent at this point in his career, but he is perfect for the Derby -- young enough to possess the stamina required for a taxing event that could become exhausting in the Atlanta heat; left-handed, in a ballpark where the ball carries out better to right field; and, most importantly, capable of hitting balls at incomprehensible velocities. Raleigh will put on a good show from both sides of the plate but will come in second.
Buster Olney: Olson. He is effectively pinch-hitting for Acuna, and because he received word in the past 72 hours of his participation, he hasn't had the practice rounds that the other competitors have been going through. But he's the only person in this group who has done the Derby before, which means he has experienced the accelerated pace, adrenaline and push of the crowd.
His pitcher, Eddie Perez, knows something about performing in a full stadium in Atlanta. And, as Olson acknowledged in a conversation Sunday, the park generally favors left-handed hitters because of the larger distances that right-handed hitters must cover in left field.
Jesse Rogers: Olson. Home-field advantage will mean something this year as hitting in 90-plus degree heat and humidity will be an extra challenge in Atlanta. Olson understands that and can pace himself accordingly. Plus, he was a late addition. He has got nothing to lose. He'll outlast the young bucks in the field. And I'm not putting Raleigh any lower than second -- his first half screams that he'll be in the finals against Olson.
Jorge Castillo: Wood. His mammoth power isn't disputed -- he can jack baseballs to all fields. But the slight defect in his power package is that he doesn't hit the ball in the air nearly as often as a typical slugger. Wood ranks 126th out of 155 qualified hitters across the majors in fly ball percentage. And he still has swatted 24 home runs this season. So, in an event where he's going to do everything he can to lift baseballs, hitting fly balls won't be an issue, and Wood is going to show off that gigantic power en route to a victory over Cruz in the finals.
Who will hit the longest home run of the night -- and how far?
Passan: Cruz hits the ball harder than anyone in baseball history. He's the choice here, at 493 feet.
Gonzalez: If you exclude the Coors Field version, there have been just six Statcast-era Derby home runs that have traveled 497-plus feet. They were compiled by two men: Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. James Wood -- all 6-foot-7, 234 pounds of him -- will become the third.
Olney: James Wood has the easy Stanton- and Judge-type power, and he will clear the Chophouse with the longest homer. Let's say 497 feet.
Rogers: Hopefully he doesn't injure himself doing it, but Buxton will break out his massive strength and crush a ball at least 505 feet. I don't see him advancing far in the event, but for one swing, he'll own the night.
Castillo: Cruz hits baseballs hard and far. He'll crush a few bombs, and one will reach an even 500 feet.
Who is the one slugger fans will know much better after the Derby?
Passan: Buxton capped his first half with a cycle on Saturday, and he'll carry that into the Derby, where he will remind the world why he was baseball's No. 1 prospect in 2015. Buxton's talent has never been in question, just his health. And with his body feeling right, he has the opportunity to put on a show fans won't soon forget.
Olney: Caminero isn't a big name and wasn't a high-end prospect like Wood was earlier in his career. Just 3½ years ago, Caminero was dealt to the Rays by the Cleveland Guardians in a relatively minor November trade for pitcher Tobias Myers. But since then, he has refined his ability to cover inside pitches and is blossoming this year into a player with ridiculous power. He won't win the Derby, but he'll open some eyes.
What's the one moment we'll all be talking about long after this Derby ends?
Gonzalez: The incredible distances and velocities that will be reached, particularly by Wood, Cruz, Caminero, Raleigh and Buxton. The hot, humid weather at Truist Park will only aid the mind-blowing power that will be on display Monday night.
Rogers: The exhaustion on the hitter's faces, swinging for home run after home run in the heat and humidity of Hot-lanta!
Castillo: Cruz's 500-foot blast and a bunch of other lasers he hits in the first two rounds before running out of gas in the finals.
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