Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh crowned Home Run Derby champ

“Hopefully it inspires some future catchers, future switch-hitters out there” Raleigh said of his win. “Got to give credit to (my father) here, he’s the one that made me be both. Just super blessed and grateful for where I’m at and an unbelievable experience.”

Raleigh also took home a million-dollar prize for his win. The former Florida State star was twice an All-American and the ACC tournament MVP in 2018.

He shared the post-game stage with his brother and father, the latter being a former head coach at Western Carolina and Tennessee.

“It’s a dream come true. Anybody that’s ever played baseball as a kid dreams of stuff like this,” the elder Raleigh said. “I can’t say how lucky and blessed I am. To do it as a family has been really special. I don’t know why we’ve been blessed like this. God is great and I can’t put it into words.”

The Derby’s first round, which began nearly three hours earlier, gave all eight contestants three minutes or 30 pitches to hit as many home runs as possible. The hitters then all received a bonus three outs, and then a fourth out if they were able to hit a ball at least 425 feet during the three-out bonus round.

James Wood of the Nationals began the evening by hitting 16 homers, peppering the Chop House and right-field stands with his powerful left-handed swing. Wood’s longest blast was measured at 486 feet.

Brent Rooker of the Athletics stepped in next and sent 17 out of the park, many of those falling into the visitors’ bullpen or left-field stands.

Caminero came up and set the new standard with 21, one of which traveled 475 feet and another which came off the bat at 117 miles per hour. The right-handed slugger put more than a few into the Hank Aaron Terrance in left.

Oneil Cruz of the Pirates hit a ball 513 feet out to right-center that cleared the pedestrian walkway. Three of Cruz’s other 21 homers landed on top of the Chop House.

Byron Buxton, from Baxley, Georgia, was the first participant not to find a steady groove, and the Twins star ended up with 14 before his bonus round. But the Georgian then lifted six more out of the park to give himself a total of 20.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the Yankees mustered just three home runs.

Raleigh also dented the Chop House roof while hitting left-handed to start his night. After hitting eight homers, Raleigh took a timeout and switched to the right side of the plate to hit seven more. The league’s home run leader finished with 17 after his bonus round.

Then it was time for the Braves’ Matt Olson to take his crack at it. After a slow start taking pitches from Braves coach Eddie Perez, hitting just four homers in his first 2:21, Olson caught fire and finished with 15, swinging to an all-Atlanta artist playlist and being serenaded by the Tomahawk Chop from the home faithful.

But Olson couldn’t find any more long balls in his at-bat during the bonus round and was eliminated.

“The reaction of the intros and then the support during the round was awesome,” Olson said. “Probably the loudest I’ve heard the place when I kinda got going there the second half. Ton of fun. Wish I could have advanced, but got off to a bad start, had to take that timeout a little too early. Bad strategy. But it was a blast.

“To be able to do it in front of that crowd, you had the chop going, every ball that went out they were (going) crazy. It was something I’ll never forget.”

Caminero, Cruz, Buxton and Raleigh (moving on by winning a tiebreaker) advanced to the semifinals, with Buxton facing Caminero and Cruz going up against Raleigh based on their first-round totals. The players each got two minutes or 27 pitches in the semifinals.

Caminero (8) knocked out Buxton (7) less than a minute into his semifinal at-bat. Raleigh (19) ousted Cruz (13) in the second semifinal.