Dumper's Derby: Raleigh first C to take HR crown

ATLANTA -- Seattle Mariners prima and MLB location tally person Cal Raleigh became the archetypal catcher to triumph the All-Star Home Run Derby arsenic helium outlasted young Tampa Bay Rays infielder Junior Caminero successful the finals connected Monday nighttime to instrumentality location the title.

Raleigh deed 18 location runs to Caminero's 15 successful the last round. He joins Ken Griffey Jr arsenic the lone 2 Mariners to triumph the event.

"Usually the feline that's starring the league successful homers doesn't triumph the full thing," Raleigh said. "That's arsenic astonishing to maine arsenic anybody else."

Raleigh was pitched to by his father, Todd, erstwhile manager of Tennessee and Western Carolina. His younger member Todd Raleigh Jr. did the catching.

"Just to bash it with my household was awesome," Raleigh said.

Raleigh was astir eliminated successful Round 1 erstwhile helium and Brent Rooker tied with 17 location runs but the Mariners catcher won the tiebreaker by the slimmest of margins arsenic his longest location tally traveled 470.61 feet to Rooker's 470.53.

Caminero, Raleigh, Oneil Cruz and Buxton each precocious past a Round 1 which featured the lowest full successful implicit a decennary aft Yankees infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. deed lone three.

"It was fun," Chisholm said afterwards. "I had a batch of fun. I enjoyed each 2nd of it. You can't inquire for a amended feeling. I'm inactive an All-Star. I inactive deed successful the location tally derby. Who could inquire for a amended acquisition than that?"

Cruz produced the item of the archetypal circular erstwhile helium blasted a 513-foot location run, the longest of the event. He's the sixth subordinate to deed a Derby HR of 500-plus feet since Statcast started tracking it successful 2016. He's lone the 2nd to bash it extracurricular of Coors Field.

Cruz averaged 447 feet successful Round 1 but got bushed by Raleigh successful the semis erstwhile the second subordinate deed 19. Raleigh wowed the assemblage erstwhile helium deed some lefthanded and righthanded during his archetypal round, blasting 10 from the near broadside and different 7 from the close side. He's the archetypal power hitter to triumph the event.

Meanwhile, Rooker expressed disorder implicit his last moments successful Round 1 wherever each subordinate was fixed 40 pitches and 3:00 minutes to deed location runs.

"They told maine earlier I went up determination that I could instrumentality 2 pitches, but I didn't cognize erstwhile they told maine that determination were lone 40 balls already successful the crate," Rooker said. "So I took 2 pitches that didn't count, but erstwhile we went to bash the round, determination was lone 38 remaining. So we got down to having 2 pitches with 5 seconds near and they're retired of baseballs."

Raleigh leads MLB with 38 regular play location runs.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.