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ATLANTA – No MLB player has hit more home runs leading into the All-Star break than Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh. The catcher’s league-leading 38 homers through 94 games puts him on pace to surpass Aaron Judge’s historic 62 home run season.
Raleigh’s breakout 2025 season earned him a first-career All-Star selection. On Monday, Raleigh became the first catcher in history to win the home run derby trophy. He’s also the first switch-hitter to claim the derby crown.
Raleigh’s 18 long balls in the final round surpassed Tampa Bay Rays infielder Junior Caminero’s 15 homers.
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Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) during the 2025 Home Run Derby at Truist Park. (Brett Davis/Imagn Images)
Raleigh’s historic derby moment was a family-filled event. His younger brother Todd Raleigh Jr. was the catcher, while Todd Raleigh threw pitches to the Mariners slugger.
“It goes all the way back to him coming home and me forcing him to throw me a ball and hit it in the backyard or in the house or something (he) probably shouldn’t be doing,” the first-time All-Star said as he recalled moments from his childhood.
2025 MLB ALL-STAR GAME: MOST MEMORABLE ALL-STAR MOMENTS THROUGHOUT HISTORY
Raleigh later told “The Pat McAfee Show” that his brother had “lived his best life.”
“He’s kind of an awkward teenager… obviously like anybody,” Raleigh said of his 15-year-old brother. “I had no expectations of him speaking up, but he was pumping me up the whole time. I was kind of surprised.”
Cal Raleigh #29 of the Seattle Mariners interacts with fans during the 2025 All-Star Red Carpet Show presented by Deer Park at Battery Ave on Tuesday, July 15, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Raleigh spoke to Fox News Digital on Tuesday in the American League clubhouse ahead of the All-Star game and took a moment to reflect on the best moment he’d experienced leading up to Tuesday night.
“So far, the (home run) derby probably takes the cake,” Raleigh said. “Getting to do that with my family was fun.”
Seattle Mariners’ Cal Raleigh competes during the MLB baseball All-Star Home Run Derby, Monday, July 14, 2025, in Atlanta. (Brynn Anderson/AP Photo)
It’s far too early to know if Raleigh will defend his home run derby crown in 2026. But, he appeared to be open to the possibility of participating again.
“I gotta make it there. We’ll see. If they invite me back that would be great,” Raleigh noted.
While Judge’s standout 2022 performance still represents the most home runs an AL player has hit in a single season, the New York Yankees star trails Raleigh by just three homers in 2025. The small gap between Raleigh and Judge’s homer totals hearkens back to the 1998 home run race between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa.
McGwire ultimately outlasted Sosa, hitting 70 home runs to the then-Cubs star’s 66. Some have wondered if Cal Raleigh and Judge will have a similar competition this season.
Raleigh, 28, said he wasn’t old enough at the time to remember the details of McGwire’s and Sosa’s 1998 seasons.
“I was a little before my time. (I’m a) little too young,” Raleigh admitted. “But I watched the ‘30 for 30’ (documentary) on it. Obviously know what it did for baseball, which is awesome. Anything like that that sheds a light to the game is great.”
While Raleigh did not provide a direct answer about whether he and Judge could produce a similar contest in 2025, he did describe the Yankees outfielder as an “unbelievable” player.
“He’s a week away from 10 more (home runs). What a player,” Raleigh said.
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Raleigh’s name has been floated as the potential American League MVP front-runner given his impressive production this year. Raleigh acknowledged the recognition, but said his focus remains on being a team player.
“It is what it is. It means I’m doing something right, which is good, but at the same time, just focusing on the process and the team first, and then whatever comes after that is great.”
Raleigh went 1-for-2 in his All-Star game debut with a single in the fourth inning. The National League defeated the American League in the first swing-off tiebreaker in the game’s history.
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