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Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh continues to have quite the banner year. Not only is he hitting balls out of the park at a rate better than everyone, as he currently is the MLB-leader in home runs at the All-Star break (with 38), he also flexed his muscle in the Home Run Derby, defeating Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero in the final round of the competition, 19 dingers to 15 — making history in the process.
OptaSTATS on X (formerly Twitter) pointed out that Raleigh became the player with the most home runs at the All-Star break for a Home Run Derby winner. Moreover, Raleigh became just the first catcher in MLB history to win the competition, and just the second switch-hitter to accomplish the feat in MLB history (joining Ruben Sierra, who made history in 1989).
Raleigh is just on one right now, and it's clear that his bonkers first half in the power department is no fluke. The man affectionately known as The Big Dumper is having a career year for the Mariners, and even in a pressure-packed environment like the Home Run Derby, Raleigh showed that he can deliver.
The Home Run Derby is not the easiest to perform well in, regardless of the raw strength a hitter has. In the final of the competition, the two remaining competitors, Raleigh and Caminero, were required to lock in, as they needed to hit as many home runs as they could in two minutes with a limit of 27 pitches during that span.
The Mariners will need Raleigh to continue performing at this level, especially after the All-Star break, as they will have to catch the Houston Astros in the AL West standings.
Mariners' Cal Raleigh shows the secret to winning is having fun
Even though Raleigh was deemed to be one of the favorites heading into the Home Run Derby, he did not let the pressure get to him. The Mariners catcher is the league-leader in home runs after all and was expected to do well, but he approached the competition the same way he approaches every big-league game — with a desire to have as much fun as he can. And perhaps that is the key to winning.
“I could have hit zero home runs, and I would have had just as much fun. I just can’t believe we won. It’s unbelievable,” Raleigh said following his Home Run Derby triumph, via ESPN.
Raleigh is not yet done making his mark in this year's All-Star festivities. The Mariners star is set to start for the AL All-Star team tomorrow night at 8 PM E.T.
