Seattle Mariners star Cal Raleigh shocks fans with home run derby debut and surprising role for dad Todd Raleigh
Some exciting news just broke for Seattle Mariners fans and baseball lovers everywhere. Cal Raleigh, nicknamed 'The Big Dumper,' shared big news on social media: he will take part in his first-ever Home Run Derby.
With an MVP-level season already underway and his powerful swing making headlines, this announcement adds serious buzz leading into the 2025 All‑Star Weekend in Atlanta.
Cal Raleigh's Derby debut family ties and big momentum
Cal Raleigh, the 28-year-old catcher for the Seattle Mariners, confirmed on Friday that he will compete in the Home Run Derby on July 14, 2025, at Truist Park in Atlanta, home to the Atlanta Braves. This season he leads all of MLB with 32 home runs, making him the only player over 30 home runs before the break.
Notably, he's the first catcher and first switch-hitter to ever reach this mark.
— mlb (@mlb)
But what makes this even more personal is that Cal's father, Todd Raleigh, a former college coach, will pitch to him during the event. Cal also hopes his younger brother, Todd Jr., will be on the field to catch him. Cal said,
'It'll be extra special for my family… it'll be easy for them to get to'.
Todd Sr. added,
'As a dad, it doesn't get any better than that… it's kind of like one of those Hallmark moments'.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Top Doctor: If You Eat Eggs Every Day, This Is What Happens
WellnessGuide
Learn more
Undo
Cal Raleigh's career year and Derby odds
This season is already historic for Cal Raleigh. Through 79 games, he is slashing .275/.383/.659 with 69 RBIs, 58 runs, and an MLB-leading home run total. On June 20, he set a record by hitting two home runs in a single game against the Chicago Cubs, making him the catcher with the most homers before the All‑Star break in over 50 years.
DraftKings odds now show Raleigh as a top contender to win the Derby, just behind Aaron Judge.
He will go up against stars like Ronald Acuña Jr., who announced his own Derby entry this week.
Also Read:
Seattle Mariners Catcher Cal Raleigh Becomes Fastest To Match Ichiro's Home Run Total
Mariners fans remember legends like Ken Griffey Jr. winning the Derby three times. Cal now has the chance to be the first catcher and first switch-hitter to win it . With his family beside him and a historic season behind him, this could be a defining moment. The Home Run Derby is set for July 14, and all eyes will be on 'The Big Dumper.'
Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
16 minutes ago
- Time of India
Girls should compete more against boys: Tania
Tania Sachdev CHENNAI: The debate over abolishing the Woman Grandmaster (WGM) title has its pieces set on opposite squares. While the legendary Judit Polgar has thrown her weight behind it, Indian star Tania Sachdev, a WGM herself, believes there's no need to take away such titles as they encourage many young girls. 'I don't think I'm particularly against the women's titles, but I do feel young girls should play in as many open tournaments as possible. They should train with boys, compete against them and not focus just on women's tournaments. There is no need to take away women's titles because those encourage young girls to take up the sport,' said Tania, who is commentating at the Chennai Grand Masters event, on Tuesday. While seeing the case for a change in the bigger picture, Tania, who also has the International Master (IM) title, mentioned it should be a 'slower transition'. 'I get it in the long run, there is something to be said for that, but I think it will take away an entire generation of chess players. So maybe you have to make that into a slower transition. I also feel that young girls playing only women's tournaments can kind of limit their potential. ' Tania feels the shift towards girls competing more in open events is already seen, a stark contrast from her playing days. The 38-year-old from Delhi said: 'The more girls do it (competing in open tournaments), the more comfortable it gets. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Compare Spreads: Bitcoin vs Ethereum CFDs IC Markets Learn More Undo This change in thought process is already happening, compared to even five years ago. In my time, that was not even a question; there were barely any open tournaments. Now, the younger generation is of this mindset that they want to compete with the boys. It's slowly going in the right direction.' 'Women aren't lagging behind': Teenager Divya Deshmukh's recent Women's World Cup victory over her senior Koneru Humpy has given fresh impetus to women's chess in India. Tania said the victory made it clear women aren't lagging behind in this shining era of Indian chess. 'To see both Humpy and Divya taking part in the Candidates will be a big moment for Indian chess fans. Having two Indians from different generations in the final, it's just so inspirational. I think the girls are also proving that they're not going to be left behind in this golden generation,' said Tania. Regarding her own playing career, Tania said she still has some chess left in her but now relishes commentating more. 'I love commentary. I feel like I don't love playing as much as I used to, but I still love the game just as much. I still want to play a one or two tournaments a year but I'm shifting pretty much full-time towards commentary,' said Tania, who last competed at the 2024 Chess Olympiad, where India won a historic gold. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Time of India
16 minutes ago
- Time of India
Vincent Keymer stays on top after draw with Arjun
Vincent Keymer CHENNAI: Ahead of the Chennai Grand Masters, Vincent Keymer told TOI his immediate goal is to get himself in good shape in classical chess to qualify for the Candidates and promised to give his all. After six rounds here, the young German GM is still unvanquished and well on course towards his target. On Tuesday, the headline clash between table-topper Keymer and top seed Arjun Erigaisi concluded in a gripping stalemate, leaving the German (4.5 points) clinging to a one-point lead with three rounds to spare. Playing with black, Arjun chose the 'Slav defence' against Keymer's 'queen's pawn' opening. Keymer appeared well-prepared and and established a promising advantage. As the game unfolded, much of Keymer's advantage gradually slipped away with Arjun deliberately complicating the positions. Known for thriving under pressure, Arjun defended with remarkable precision and even maintained composure in a scenario where a single misstep could have ended the game within 10 moves. While Keymer held early momentum, time trouble and minor inaccuracies allowed Arjun to claw back. Opting for a practical approach, Arjun played on Keymer's clock rather than hunting for perfect moves and ran away with the half-a-point. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like California: Gov Will Cover Your Cost To Install Solar If You Live In These Zip Codes SunValue Learn More Undo With the race still tight, Keymer will next face Awonder Liang (3.5), who surged into the joint-second spot alongside Arjun (3.5). At the same time, Awonder crossed the coveted 2700 rating mark after a commanding win over V Pranav with black pieces. While the spotlight was on the Arjun-Keymer clash, on the adjacent board, close friends Anish Giri and Vidit Gujrathi waged a fierce battle before ultimately settling for a draw in their 109-move marathon. The Indian pushed hard with some aggressive play and came agonisingly close to victory after an error by Anish but fell short. The game ended peacefully when both players agreed to a rook trade that secured the draw. 'In the middlegame, Anish got ambitious and sacrificed a pawn. In my opinion, it was a dubious idea and I feel I had excellent chances after that. There was one moment in the game where I felt I was even winning objectively. Draw is an okay result but from the position I had, I feel I lost a golden chance to win,' said Vidit. In challengers, M Pranesh brought Abhimanyu Puranik's unbeaten run to an end. With his victory, Pranesh joined Abhimanyu at the summit, alongside Leon Mendonca, who also secured a crucial win over Aryan Chopra, creating a tight three-way contest for the title. Results: Round 6: Masters: Arjun Erigaisi drew with Vincent Keymer; Awonder Liang bt V Pranav; Vidit Gujrathi drew with Anish Giri; Jorden van Foreest bt Nihal Sarin; Karthikeyan Murali drew with Ray Robson. Challengers: M Pranesh bt Abhimanyu Puranik; Leon Mendonca bt Aryan Chopra; D Harika bt R Vaishali; B Adhiban bt Diptayan Ghosh; Pa Iniyan drew with GB Harshavardhan. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Time of India
16 minutes ago
- Time of India
India may be forced to leave U-23 stars behind as 17 players fail to report for camp
The U-23 preparatory camp kicked off in Bengaluru on Aug 1, with only 10 players who made it to Tajikistan for the two friendlies in attendance Panaji: India coach Naushad Moosa could be forced to field several untested players for the crucial AFC U-23 Asian Cup Qualifiers next month as more than half of the probables are yet to report for the preparatory camp in Bengaluru. The U-23 preparatory camp kicked off in Bengaluru on Aug 1, with only 10 players who made it to Tajikistan for the two friendlies in attendance. Seventeen others who were handpicked failed to report as they remain busy with club duties in the Durand Cup and AFC Champions League Two playoff. Some of the players have hardly been involved in the Durand Cup. 'We arranged for two friendlies in Malaysia against Iraq (later this month) and had a long camp, so that the team gets good preparations. But if the players are unavailable due to club commitments, our efforts will count for nothing,' said All India Football Federation (AIFF) deputy secretary general M Satyanarayan. 'We can understand there are FIFA international windows (for release of players) but clubs need to make some sacrifices in the interest of the national team. We have a talented group of U-23 players.' Many of the players who are missing are definite starters. Mohun Bagan defender Abhishek Singh and striker Suhail Ahmad Bhat, for example, are with the senior national team. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Leones: Unsold Furniture Liquidation 2024 (Prices May Surprise You) Unsold Furniture | Search Ads Learn More Undo Then there's Parthib Gogoi and Macarton Louis Nickson (NorthEast United), besides Mohammed Sanan and Nikhil Barla (Jamshedpur FC), all of whom are expected to play a crucial role in the Qualifiers. Goa coach Manolo Marquez has told Moosa that he will release Ayush Chhetri, Sanatomba Singh and Alan Saji after the AFC Champions League Two playoff against Al Seeb on Aug 13. 'The AIFF has preliminarily registered 50 players with the AFC for the Qualifiers so Moosa was forced to pick additional players to make up the numbers at the camp. It's not an ideal situation as most of these players are not ready for international competitions,' said another official. The gap came to the fore when India U-23 played a friendly against FC Goa in Bengaluru and conceded a goal in the first minute itself. They eventually lost 5-0. 'The Durand Cup final is on Aug 23 and the team leaves for Malaysia before that,' said a source who has been tracking this development. 'You cannot allow players to join the team without attending training sessions.' India are drawn to play Bahrain (Sept 3), Qatar (Sept 6) and Brunei (Sept 9) in the Asian Cup qualifiers in Doha. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
