Monday night was the 2025 MLB Home Run Derby. Not the most star-studded event ever. Only 2 of the Top 10 home run hitters this season attended the derby (Cal Raleigh and James Wood).
Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge and Bryce Harper were busy not destroying their swings in a contest that may or may not ruin the second half of a hitter’s season.
Congrats to Cal Raleigh for leading baseball in homers and then going out there and winning the home run derby.
BIG DUMPER
BIG WINNER
CAL RALEIGH IS YOUR DERBY CHAMP 😤 pic.twitter.com/D9Jdl7dr3X— MLB (@MLB) July 15, 2025
Let’s get into the biggest takeaways from the night:
1. I fuck with the Raleigh’s
With his father, Todd, throwing pitches to his brother, Todd Jr, catching, Cal Raleigh became the first catcher and 2nd Seattle Mariner (along with Ken Griffey Jr) to win the home run derby.
He’s about to turn 16, might get a car.” 😅
Cal Raleigh might have something special for his brother after winning the HR Derby 🚘 pic.twitter.com/J1sw0YP4WP
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 15, 2025
Always dope to see a family live out their dreams.
Cal’s father Todd was the head coach of Tennesee’s baseball team but when Cal was 14 and tried out for the local high school team, the coach pulled Todd aside and told him Cal wasn’t good enough and, at best, he’d be a D2 ball player.
Todd quit his cushy Tennessee job, moved the family back to North Carolina and poured all his time, attention and energy into helping his son make it to the big show.
And now Cal Raleigh is one of the best hitters in the world.
As a Yankees fan, I want to end all conversations about Cal Raleigh stealing the AL MVP from Aaron Judge but I still want to celebrate this man for looking like he works at the tire shop with Shane Gillis while just slugging 38 homers before the All-Star break.
2. This is still Trump’s America
We were so close to seeing 4 straight Dominican players win the Home Run Derby.
- Juan Soto in 2022.
- Vladdy Guerrero in 2023.
- Teoscar Hernández in 2024.
- And Junior Caminero was cruising in the final round.
Until the white devils emerged from the Earth to rob a homer in the outfield.
Bro did NOT want Junior Caminero to win the Derby 😭 pic.twitter.com/JmBXNLaeLK
— MLB (@MLB) July 15, 2025
The home run still counted but because Tanner wanted a fucking web gem, Junior Caminero immediately called a timeout—showing visible anger and frustration.
The rest of his round was ruined.
The momentum was taken from his at-bat.
And of course he loses to Cal Raleigh—a guy who looks like a volunteer ICE agent.
This is what y’all voted for.
3. Jazz Chisholm can’t shake that Yankees stink
The New York Yankees were once up 7 games in the AL East and now they’re in second place with the same number of wins as a Red Sox team that traded away their best player for non-baseball reasons.
The Yankees offense has fallen off a cliff and Jazz Chisholm Jr brought that garbage to the Derby.
My man had 38 swings. He hit just 3 homers.
He needn’t have shown up at all.
Jazz had literally the worst round since the clock was installed in 2016.
Chisholm had 3 minutes and 3 bonus at-bats. And he only hit 3 homers.
Never great when your guy makes history as the worst to ever do it.
4. Do this shit for Paul
THINGS ARE GETTING OUT OF HAND 🤯
ONEIL CRUZ HITS THIS BASEBALL 513 FEET and 118 MPH 🚀 pic.twitter.com/2mtVUCSyEn
— MLB (@MLB) July 15, 2025
Pittsburgh Pirates centerfielder was sending missiles into the bleachers, including a 513-foot nuke into the apartment complexes across the street.
Cruz also hit home runs 492 feet and 498 feet. No other player cleared 486 feet. Cruz had the five longest and nine of the 10 longest homers of the Home Run Derby.
Yet, when it’s a game that matters and Paul Skenes, one of the best pitchers to ever throw a baseball, is on the mound, suddenly O’Neil Cruz and all of the Pirates forget how to play the sport.
I bet if Paul Skenes was pitching to one of the other derby contestants, O’Neil Cruz would’ve made Jazz Chisholm look like Sammy Sosa.
Thanks for reading.
Let me know your thoughts on the 2025 MLB Home Run Derby, leave a comment below. Respond on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. Or shoot me an email at Deadseriousmailbag@gmail.com. Let’s chat, bay-beeeee.
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