Cal Raleigh, MLB's HR leader, to participate in 2025 Home Run Derby
Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, the MLB leader in home runs with 32, will participate in the Home Run Derby as part of MLB's upcoming All-Star festivities.
Raleigh joins Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña as the second player to commit to the annual event, which takes place this year at Truist Park in Atlanta on July 14.
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Affectionately known as 'Big Dumper,' Raleigh is in the midst of a historic season for the Mariners, already establishing a record for home runs by a catcher and by a switch-hitter before the All-Star break. Raleigh enters Friday's game with a .275/.380/.651 line and nine stolen bases while spending the majority of his 79 games behind the plate defensively. It's been a career year for Raleigh thus far, though he's not new to the home run leaderboards. This is the third straight year Raleigh has surpassed 30 home runs in a season, and he has hit 125 in 543 career games.
The Mariners announced that Raleigh, a native of Cullowhee, N.C., will have his dad, Todd, pitching to him in the Derby. No catcher has ever won the Home Run Derby.
'I'm excited to represent the Mariners and our fanbase at the Derby,' Raleigh, 28, said in a statement released by the Mariners. 'It will be extra special for me getting to do it in Atlanta, where I spent a lot of time playing baseball as a kid.'
Raleigh is the eighth member of the Mariners to participate in the derby since its inception in 1995, with Julio Rodríguez being the team's most recent representative. Ken Griffey, Jr. won the event three times as a Mariner.
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