The Large Dumper is heading to the most important dwelling run present on earth.
On Friday, Cal Raleigh, the home-run-hitting catcher for the Seattle Mariners who’s in the course of a profession 12 months on the plate, officially joined the record of sluggers who will take part within the 2025 MLB Dwelling Run Derby. This 12 months’s Dwelling Run Derby is ready for July 14 in Atlanta as a part of the 2025 MLB All-Star Recreation festivities.
Raleigh entered Friday’s recreation in opposition to the Texas Rangers with 32 dwelling runs and because the solely MLB participant with greater than 30 thus far this season. He initially said in early June he would take part within the Dwelling Run Derby “in a heartbeat,” and now, that thought is coming true.
The 28-year-old Raleigh is already nearing his career-high in dwelling runs, which he set final season with 34 whereas additionally tacking on 100 RBI.
Whereas Raleigh is hammering dwelling runs once more this season, he’s additionally getting on base and hitting at a extra productive stage as effectively. With a profession slash line of .227/.310/.477, Raleigh is way outpacing that this season by slashing .275/.380/.651 heading into Friday. His OPS of 1.031 ranked solely behind reigning American League Most Worthwhile Participant Aaron Choose, who had an OPS of 1.180 via his first 80 video games with the New York Yankees.
Moreover, Raleigh’s 4.4 bWAR not solely leads Seattle however is fourth in all of baseball behind Choose (5.8), Jeremy Pena of the Houston Astros (4.7) and Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Chicago Cubs (4.5).
Raleigh is the second potential All-Star to conform to take part within the Dwelling Run Derby, with Ronald Acuna Jr. of the Atlanta Braves already announcing he would characterize his hometown staff within the festivities.
In his fifth MLB season (all with Seattle), Raleigh has acquired AL MVP votes every of the final two seasons, ending as excessive as 12th within the voting. This season, he opened at +10000 on BetMGM to win MVP honors. Nevertheless, his league-leading energy and elevated manufacturing on the plate now have him at +375, second solely to Choose (-900).
