In a stunning display of power and precision, Seattle's Cal Raleigh, affectionately known as 'Big Dumper', conquered the All-Star Home Run Derby, becoming the first catcher to claim the coveted title. Raleigh outshone Tampa Bay's Junior Caminero in a thrilling final round, finishing with an impressive score of 18-15.

Raleigh, who entered the All-Star break leading the majors with an astonishing 38 home runs, navigated through the competition with grace. In a dramatic first round, he survived a nail-biting tiebreaker against the Athletics' Brent Rooker, advancing by a mere inch! The excitement didn't stop there; Raleigh later dominated the semi-finals, defeating Pittsburgh's Oneil Cruz 19-13, who impressed with a jaw-dropping 513-foot home run—this drive was the longest of the night.

As the second hitter in the final round, the 22-year-old Caminero put up a fight, hitting a series of fast-paced homers, but ultimately fell short against Raleigh’s powerful swings.

Making history, Raleigh not only became the first switch-hitter to win the derby since Baltimore’s Adley Rutschman in 2023, but also only the second Mariners player to do so, following the legendary Ken Griffey Jr. Todd Raleigh, Cal's father and a former coach at Tennessee and Western Carolina, pitched for him during the event, while his younger brother, Todd Raleigh Jr., caught the balls.

During the competition, Raleigh began his round hitting eight home runs left-handed, took a timeout, and then switched to right-handed, adding seven more. He later switched back to lefty for bonus rounds and both the semi-final and final, showcasing his adaptability and skill.

In addition to Raleigh's impressive performance, the opening round saw Cruz and Caminero each blast 21 home runs, while Minnesota's Byron Buxton hit 20. Raleigh and Rooker both finished with 17, but Raleigh's longest homer outshined Rooker's by a mere fraction—470.61 feet to 470.53 feet. The hardest hit of the night came from Cruz, reaching an astonishing 118 mph.

While Raleigh's victory earned him a cool $1 million, Caminero took home $500,000 as the runner-up, nearly doubling his salary, which sat at $764,100 prior to the event. This electrifying night will surely go down in history, with Raleigh etching his name into the record books as a trailblazing champion.