KCHW NEWS REPORTS

Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh turned a childhood dream into reality Monday night by winning the 2025 T-Mobile Home Run Derby in Atlanta — and the internet has the video to prove he saw this coming.

In a now-viral clip from his youth, an 8-year-old Raleigh proudly declared himself the “Home Run Derby champ” in his North Carolina backyard. Two decades later, that prediction came true as he slugged his way past baseball’s best, becoming the first catcher in MLB history to win the Derby.

With his father, Todd, pitching and his 15-year-old brother, “T,” catching behind the plate, Raleigh launched 54 total home runs, including 18 in the final round to defeat Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero. Along the way, he edged Oakland’s Brent Rooker in the first round by less than an inch, winning a tiebreaker by just 0.96 inches on longest home run distance.

The 28-year-old switch-hitter also outslugged Pittsburgh’s Oneil Cruz in the semifinals, belting 19 homers.

Raleigh joins Ken Griffey Jr. as the only Mariners to win the event. Griffey, now a sports photographer, watched from the field as Raleigh paid tribute with a backward cap and a championship chain.

Raleigh’s season has been historic — he leads MLB with 38 home runs, just one shy of Barry Bonds’ pre-All-Star break record. On Tuesday night, he’ll start for the American League in the 2025 MLB All-Star Game.