It's been mesmerizing to watch Cal Raleigh's historic season for the Seattle Mariners unfold in 2025. As a Mariners fan, I'm ecstatic about a 38-home run first

Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernandez was crowned 2024 Home Run Derby champion after defeating Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. in the finals. Hernandez slugged 14 homers in the final round, one more than Witt, to become the first Dodgers player to win the Derby title.

The Seattle catcher is on a historic pace, hitting 38 home runs before the All-Star break. Some changes he made in the minor leagues have fueled his tear.

Who will win the title instead, though, is difficult to predict. No other NL hitter held a .300 batting average at the All-Star break. Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman and St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan were tied for second in the league in average with a .297 mark.

The Seattle Mariners catcher is both a superb defender and also suddenly the best home-run hitter on the planet. He's even got the best nickname in the game, Big Dumper. Raleigh also has a wonderful perspective on the game of baseball. He revealed his thoughts to ESPN's Jeff Passan in a new feature story.