Mariners catcher and MLB homer leader Cal Raleigh to participate in Home Run Derby
Associated Press
SEATTLE (AP) — Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, who leads the majors in homers with 32, said Friday he will participate in next month's Home Run Derby.
The derby will be held on July 14, the night before the All-Star Game, at Truist Park in Atlanta.
It's the first derby appearance for the 28-year-old known as Big Dumper. This season, Raleigh became the first catcher and first switch-hitter to reach 30 homers before the All-Star break.
'I'm excited to represent the Mariners and our fanbase,' Raleigh said in a statement. '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.'
No catcher has ever won the Home Run Derby, which began in 1985.
Raleigh becomes the eighth Seattle player to compete in the derby, joining Hall of Famers Ken Griffey Jr. and Edgar Martinez along with Jay Buhner, Alex Rodriguez, Bret Boone, Robinson Cano and current teammate Julio Rodriguez. Griffey won the event in 1994, 1998 and 1999, and in 1993, he became the only player to hit the B&O Warehouse at Camden Yards on the fly.
Entering Friday, Raleigh was batting .275 with 69 RBIs, 15 doubles and 47 walks in 79 games.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
recommended
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Associated Press
7 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Hoffenheim signs Japan defender Koki Machida from Belgium's Union Saint-Gilloise
SINSHEIM, Germany (AP) — German team Hoffenheim has signed Japan defender Koki Machida from Belgian champion Royale Union Saint-Gilloise. The 27-year-old Machida, who has played 17 games for Japan, signed a 'long-term contract' at Hoffenheim, the Bundesliga club said on Friday without elaborating. Kicker magazine reported Hoffenheim agreed to pay around 4.5 million euros ($5.3 million) for the player, possibly rising to over 5 million ($5.9 million) with bonuses. 'In Koki Machida we've found a central defender who brings exactly the qualities we were looking for in this position,' Hoffenheim sporting director Andreas Schicker said. 'He has international experience as a Japanese national team player and was an absolute key part of Royale Union Saint-Gilloise's championship-winning last season. Koki is an uncompromising defender who never shies away from a challenge.' Machida initially joined the Belgian team on loan from Kashima Antlers in 2022, earning a permanent switch the following year. Altogether he played 114 games for Union. 'For me the step to Hoffenheim and in the Bundesliga is the next in my career,' Machida said in a Hoffenheim statement. Hoffenheim finished just above the Bundesliga relegation zone last season. ___ AP soccer:
Associated Press
32 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Power pairing of Stewart Cink and Padraig Harrington tied heading into weekend at US Senior Open
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Stewart Cink made up five shots over nine holes against Padraig Harrington in their head-to-head pairing at the U.S. Senior Open on Friday, leaving the major champions tied for the lead after their second rounds at the Broadmoor. Both players head into the weekend at 6-under 134, though they got there much differently. Opening on the more difficult back nine, Harrington shot 31 to open his five-shot lead. Then, Cink shot his own 31 on the second nine to pull back into a tie. Cink hit all 18 greens in regulation, making it 35 of 36 for the week. He called that stat overrated, especially at the Broadmoor, where the real test starts on the notoriously difficult-to-read greens that all cant away from a monument lurking above the course on Cheyenne Mountain. 'You don't want to be chipping downhill on this course, it's not a secret,' said the 52-year-old Cink, the 2009 British Open champion who is playing in his first U.S. Senior Open. After Harrington shot 31 on the more difficult nine, then kept the lead at five with a birdie on the par-5 third, he was thinking there might be an opportunity to open a big lead heading into the weekend. A pair of three-putts — one on the seventh and the other on the par-3 fourth green that has been slowed down to temper the severe slope — resulted in bogeys. Cink hit his approach on the par-5 ninth to 45 feet and two-putted for birdie to get to 6 under. His first putt showed Harrington the line after the Irishman, the winner of the 2007 and '08 British and 2008 PGA Championship, had short-sided himself in a greenside bunker, and he made his 20-footer for birdie and the tie. 'I got a lovely read off Stewart. I don't think I would have given it as much break, so that was nice,' said Harrington, who won the U.S. Senior Open in 2022. 'They're the breaks you get when things are going well.' Both players finished the round with dark clouds hovering, and the horn sounded right after they holed out, leading to a delay of about 60 minutes. They finished the day two ahead of first-round co-leader Mark Hensby, whose afternoon round got delayed. Y.E. Yang, the 2009 PGA champion, was still on the course at 2 under and a group of five with the same score were waiting to tee off. Harrington and Cink, the only two players on the PGA Tour Champions who average 300 yards in driving distance, were well positioned to be playing together again to start the weekend. 'I love watching him play. I would hope that he probably feels similarly about me,' Cink said. 'We have mutual respect for each other. He's a world-class player and he's been doing it a long time. I would love it if we could go the distance here.' ___ AP golf:
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Spurs' Dylan Harper a roller-coaster ride of emotions after going No. 2
The post Spurs' Dylan Harper a roller-coaster ride of emotions after going No. 2 appeared first on ClutchPoints. San Antonio Spurs' newest guard, Dylan Harper, was emotional after being selected as the No. 2 overall pick at the 2025 NBA Draft. The Spurs added to their exciting backcourt the 19-year-old who projects to be an absolute star at the next level. Dylan, the son of five-time NBA champion Ron Harper, has succeeded everywhere he's been. In one season at Rutgers, the Franklin Lakes, New Jersey native averaged 19.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.0 assists on an efficient 48% from the field. Advertisement Harper was subsequently a third-team All-Big Ten selection, showcasing his talent on a weekly basis in one of the best conferences in the country. At 6 foot 6, 215 pounds, the young guard was fired up about joining his new team. In an interview with ESPN's Monica McNutt, Harper detailed his excitement. 'I'm feeling everything. All the emotions mixed in one bucket, from crying, to laughing, to being happy. I'm excited to get ready, I'm excited…I think when you play with a bunch of great players, it just brings the best out of you. They got a great young core over there, and I'm just ready to get in there and make an impact any way I can with those guys.' Harper joins a team looking to take a huge step up in the Western Conference hierarchy during the 2025-26 season. Victor Wembanyama should at least be a top 10 player in the world this coming season, and he already has an All-Star-caliber point guard beside him in De'Aaron Fox. Next to those two is 2024-25 Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle, who has the potential to be an elite wing in this league. Several other solid role players are on this roster, like Devin Vassell, Harrison Barnes, and Jeremy Sochan, so Harper isn't guaranteed to start immediately. But looking ahead, it'll be interesting how the 19-year-old fits in a potential backcourt with Fox, who presumably will have the ball in his hands most of the time when it isn't in Wembanyama's. Harper has shown the potential to play off-ball before, but that wasn't his role in college. Advertisement Overall, the Spurs took the most talented player available, which is the right move for this franchise. Harper has the potential to be a cornerstone player for over a decade in San Antonio alongside Wembanyama, especially since he was considered the best pick-and-roll prospect going into Wednesday night. Should the Spurs continue their tradition of developing elite talent, they should have a championship-contending squad sooner rather than later. It's playoffs or bust for this franchise next season. Related: Why Spurs strike NBA Draft gold again with Carter Bryant Related: Victor Wembanyama calls Dylan Harper after Spurs' No. 2 pick
