2025 Home Run Derby Full Highlights from 7_14_25

Tonight, the next generation takes its shot at one of the most memorable, enjoyable, and challenging competitions of the summer. It's the Home Run Derby, where the race is against seven other competitors, and the clock that keeps counting down. James Wood, the Washington Nationals giant, will lead things off. The one thing with James Wood is because he has so much power the other way, he is trying now to change a little bit of his swing that he's had during the regular season, and trying to lift what he's got. Some easy pop right now, too, he's not over-exhuting himself, gotta get underneath it just a little bit more. And here's another one, over the chop house. His favorite player of all time, retired when he was just five years old, he said, when I first picked up a bat, I wanted a hit like Barry Bonds. So easy to just go with good wood when James Wood is sending it. That will do it, that's a great first effort for James Wood. Tell you what, that sets the bar, 16, you don't know what kind of Home Run Derby it's going to be, but absolutely incredible display how far that ball went. The A's cleaned him off wavers in 2023, he was contemplating taking his family to Japan, but since the start of that season, his first for the A's, his 89 homers, our ninth most in the majors over that stretch. Three right out of the gate, including an absolute missile, now four in his first five swings, I'd say he's in a pretty good spot. And it's simple, it's controlled, he stays back, no leg kick. Rooker is now tied wood, and he's got two outs to play with. That's going to go, that is going to go. Very good round for Brent Rooker, he now moves ahead of James Wood, and the family is loving the machine that Rooker was, he put on a show. You like light tower power, man, and somebody who seems just built for this event, Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays. He hunts the pitch out front, and it's full power. He looks like he's got a bigger bat too, one of the guys that went for length and went for durability here. He replaced Bregman, Jose Ramirez then checked out, so it afforded him the opportunity to start in the All-Star game and show up and show off in the Home Run Derby. If you look at a guy that is built for fast, rapid fire, Home Run Derby swing, it's him. No doubt about it. The new leader in the clubhouse is Junior Caminero. Take a breath, big fella. Time to welcome O'Neal Cruz, all 6'7", 240 pounds, a Pittsburgh Pirate. Cruz said, I like to hit balls far, so I think I'm going to enjoy the Home Run Derby a lot. Oh! As you're standing up, including his ball schemes. Okay, the thing is, the bat looks like a toothpick in his hands. That's how big he is. And I said we'd have a 500-foot homer. We have one. That one that went out to right center was 513 feet. We thought at the 140 mark he was going to need a big round after the timeout. He put on a big round. So we have a tie at the top, but man, was that impressive. Yeah, it's always nice to go into the break feeling good about yourself. Byron Buxton needed a ding-dong for the cycle. What does he do? A homer to center. Welcome to the Derby. Right now, he's got to get a little more lift in here and get those hips going. This whole Derby for him was about his son, Bricks, who said, Dad, I don't know how many more years we can do this. I want to bring you the towel and the Gatorade. Oh, my. Oh, yes. I remember the top four advance, and he needs to pass Wood, who's sitting there at 16. No clock, just three outs in this round. Got to get past that 17 to have a good look here. Three guys left. He's made for this, not for the clock. It's just a different breed. He has to take his time. Now it's a wait-and-see game for Byron Buxton, who moves into third place. The top four will advance. Ready to play some jazz. Jazz Chisholm, Jr. of the Yankees. Jazz is stuck here on two. Yeah. It hasn't been going Jazz's way. He talked about, I'm going to go. I'm going to enjoy myself. They're hoping that one is enough to get over the wall, and it was for his third. Quite an experience for he and his stepdad to do it in the Bahamas, and certainly here at Truist Park. But Jazz Chisholm's night is over. This is such an incredible year, and first half that Raleigh had, he's got more homers than the first half that he's had in any regular season. About 25 seconds to go. Yeah. That's another. There's a dozen. Yeah. Locked it. 15 home runs with three outs to play with and no clock. I think I would go back to lefty. I felt like he was more comfortable left-handed. And he's down to his final out. Oh, he'll kick with a monster shot. Don't forget, Florida State, a lot of Tomahawk Caps over there as well. He has got to 17. Clutch. Two homers with two outs. The word is in that Cal Raleigh had a baseball at 471 go further, so Raleigh has knocked Rooker out. Listen to the place explode for Matt Olsen. Ultimately, most of these fans have come for one reason, and he is standing in the batter's box right now. Tell you what, one thing's going through his mind right now is get going to a hot start, and I think that's the main thing he's got to think about. We need Matt Olsen, and he needs to get going here if he wants to hang around for the next round. He was six years old in 2000 when he watched Sandy Sosa deliver a derby title. Another golf shot to center. Oh, let's go, baby! Oh, everybody's up now. No! He does it again! What a second half to that first round for Matt Olsen. He's down to his last out. No! Eddie Perez and Matt Olsen tonight. Byron Buxton hit 20 in round one, and every single one of them was to the left side of center field. A little different here, obviously. Fewer pitches and only two minutes on the clock. That's going to stay fair. Yeah, it is. Look at that thing go. The number for Bux is six, and you can see the physical toll that it has taken on him tonight. See if he can get in a little groove. Got to get really selective here. Oh, there you go. Fire the mix. Go out with a bang. The number will be seven for Byron Buxton, and that is what Junior Caminero will shoot for. And now he knows he has seven, so he can be on cruise control, get that first one out of the way, and just get going. That back foot of his is already pointing almost towards the plate. A little bit this way. He's looking to go back on everything. This is going to help him, too, now. He gets to hit. He's tired. It's the hidden gem in baseball. The biggest hidden gem, I believe, is Junior Caminero on Tampa Bay. Well, the next one will move. Well, there you go. Junior Caminero. That's it. Junior Caminero will advance as he knocks out Byron Buxton, and he did it in about a minute. That's all I was just going to say. He did it with under a minute. He is going to be the favorite after this. I don't care who it is. He's not going to be tired. He's ready to go. He can jump right up there right now, so watch out for him in the championship round. Oh, what a start. Three homers, four swings for Raleigh. There's urgency in these swings right now because he understands the power of O'Neal Cruz. He has to put pressure on him. What a different start compared to Byron Buxton. He said bring it down a little bit to his dad. Remember, his younger brother is catching and has the best view of everybody. He's not catching many baseballs behind home right now. It seems natural, too. What a natural left-handed swing it is. What a start for Cal Raleigh. You know, you got to keep going. He's in that lead dog position. You got to put up a big number, and he's doing it. Yeah, he is. Easy pop. Oh! Oh, yeah. Pops is doing it. He's grooving it right where he wants it. This is what a home run derby champion looks like. I ain't going to lie. That jumper right now is helping him because he has not lost his leg. 19 for the big jumper. That's a high bar, but if anybody can jump over it in this derby, it might be O'Neal Cruz. This is going to have to be one of the most unbelievable comebacks if he's able to surpass Cal Raleigh here. We've seen a few of those. If there's one guy in this derby right now that can do it, it's him. Oh! Longest one of the night. Look at him. Even him, he can't believe he hit it that far. Ooh, that's nasty. If he wants to continue, he's got to hit eight homers before he makes another out. Down to six. Oh, that is not nearly enough. He changed his rhythm completely. And Cal Raleigh is now one round away. In an incredibly created scenario, dad, brother, pitcher, catcher. Timeout right now. Big fly to center upon the one that just got over. What a start for Cal Raleigh. And just like last time, after he hit a home run, he asked for timeout. This guy knows his swing and look at the path here. Eyes to the ball. They'll tell you the story all day. You got one more. Oh! Into center! I tell you, he looks pretty cool right now for somebody that's going through what he's going through with one out to go. Listen to the brother. Oh, yeah! All right, there's the number. Cal Raleigh. 18 ball. He's put pressure on Caminero. Definitely put pressure on it. Is it going to be enough, though? Oh, he stopped it! Oh! Good. Because that was a home run, it looks like. It disrupted Caminero as well. Yeah, he kept it. Oh, man, that's tough. He's down to one out and he needs three over. No! Dominican dominance comes to an end. The Big Dumper is your home run derby champion for 2025. A family affair here at Truist Park tonight.