If you’re wondering who won the home run derby last year, you aren't alone. It was one of those nights where the record books didn't just get a new entry; they basically got shredded and rewritten by a guy most people didn't have on their bingo card. We're talking about Cal Raleigh.
Yeah, the Seattle Mariners' catcher.
The man they call "Big Dumper" went into Truist Park in Atlanta on July 14, 2025, and did something no catcher had ever done in the history of the competition. He won the whole thing. It was wild. Usually, the Derby is a playground for massive outfielders or hulking first basemen, but Raleigh proved that the guys behind the plate have just as much pop—if not more.
The Night Cal Raleigh Won The Home Run Derby Last Year
The atmosphere in Atlanta was electric, mostly because the fans were expecting a show from the hometown favorite Matt Olson or maybe a moonshot display from Pittsburgh’s Oneil Cruz. But Raleigh had this quiet confidence about him. Maybe it was because he had his dad, Todd, throwing to him. Or maybe it was the fact that he was switch-hitting his way through the rounds, which is just a flex when you think about it.
Honestly, the first round was a total heart-stopper. Raleigh actually finished in a dead tie with Brent Rooker of the Athletics. Both guys hammered 17 homers. In most years, that’s a coin flip or a swing-off, but under the 2025 rules, it came down to the "longest blast" tiebreaker.
Raleigh’s longest ball was 471.61 feet.
Rooker’s was 471.53 feet.
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That’s a difference of 0.08 feet. Less than an inch. If Rooker had caught one just a tiny bit cleaner, the answer to who won the home run derby last year would be completely different. But that inch sent Raleigh to the semifinals, and he never looked back.
The Bracket Breakdown
By the time the semifinals rolled around, the field was narrowing down to the real heavy hitters.
- Cal Raleigh took down the favorite, Oneil Cruz, with a 19-13 score.
- Junior Caminero, the Rays' young phenom, edged out Byron Buxton 8-7 in a lower-scoring, tension-filled round.
Caminero was the story of the night for a while. He’s only 22, and he was absolutely tattooing the ball. But the final was all about the catcher.
In the championship round, Raleigh went first and set the bar high with 18 homers. Caminero put up a fight, but he ran out of gas, finishing with 15. When the final buzzer rang, Raleigh became the first Mariner since the legendary Ken Griffey Jr. (who won it back-to-back in '98 and '99) to hoist that trophy.
Why Oneil Cruz Almost Stole the Show
Even though Raleigh took the trophy, we have to talk about Oneil Cruz for a second. The guy is a human cheat code. During the first round, he launched a ball 513 feet.
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Think about that.
That is the longest non-Coors Field home run in the history of the Statcast era (post-2015). It came off the bat at 118 mph. The crowd literally gasped. Usually, these balls land in the first few rows of the upper deck, but Cruz was hitting parts of the stadium that ball hawks don't even bother standing in. He ended up with 21 homers in the first round, tying Caminero for the most in a single set, but he just couldn't maintain that velocity in the head-to-head matchup against Raleigh.
The Logistics of the 2025 Format
If you haven't watched a Derby lately, the rules changed a bit to save the players' shoulders from falling off. Last year, they used the "pitch limit" system. In the first round, you get three minutes or 40 pitches—whichever comes first.
It keeps the pace fast. It stops the hitters from waiting 30 seconds for the "perfect" pitch every time. You also get bonus outs. If you hit a ball over 425 feet during the bonus period, you earn an extra out. Raleigh was a master at this. He wasn't just swinging for the fences; he was strategically aiming for that 425+ mark to extend his time.
Final Leaderboard and Totals
- Cal Raleigh (Winner): 54 Total Home Runs
- Junior Caminero (Runner-up): 44 Total Home Runs
- Oneil Cruz: 34 Total Home Runs
- Byron Buxton: 27 Total Home Runs
- Brent Rooker: 17 Total Home Runs
- James Wood: 16 Total Home Runs
- Matt Olson: 15 Total Home Runs
- Jazz Chisholm Jr.: 3 Total Home Runs
Poor Jazz Chisholm Jr. basically had a nightmare out there. He only managed three homers and actually got booed a bit by the Atlanta crowd, which felt a little harsh, but hey, that's sports.
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What This Means for 2026
Looking back at who won the home run derby last year gives us a pretty good roadmap for what's coming next in Philadelphia. The 2026 Derby is headed to Citizens Bank Park, which is famously a "small" park compared to Truist. If a catcher like Raleigh can dominate in Atlanta, the power numbers in Philly might be absolutely astronomical.
The "catcher curse" is officially broken. For decades, managers hated their catchers doing the Derby because of the physical toll. They worried about the "Derby Hangover" where a player's swing gets messed up for the second half of the season. Raleigh didn't care. He proved that a switch-hitting backstop can handle the volume.
Actionable Insights for Fans:
If you're planning on betting or following the Derby in 2026, keep these three things in mind based on last year's results:
- Look at the Pitcher: Raleigh won because his dad, Todd, was incredibly consistent. A bad BP pitcher ruins a great slugger every single time.
- Long-Ball Tiebreakers Matter: Since the rules favor distance for ties, don't just look at who hits the most; look at who has the highest "max distance" on Statcast.
- Age vs. Experience: Junior Caminero almost won at 22, but the 28-year-old Raleigh had the stamina to finish. Experience usually wins the final round when the legs start to get heavy.
If you're heading to Philadelphia this summer, get to the park early. The 2025 Derby showed us that the records are meant to be broken, and with the way Oneil Cruz is hitting, we might see something clear the 520-foot mark soon.