The 2025 MLB Home Run Derby took center stage on Monday at Truist Park in Atlanta, the home of the Braves. Eight MLB sluggers stepped up to the plate, with one being crowned the champion. Here are five key takeaways from this year’s Home Run Derby. It’s a game of inches In the closest finish in Home Run Derby history, Cal Raleigh and Brent Rooker each launched 17 home runs in the first round, leading to a tiebreaker to determine who would advance to the semifinals. With no swing-off permitted, the decision hinged on the longest home run. Though both were officially recorded at 471 feet, the precise measurements told the final answer. Raleigh’s blast traveled 470.61 feet, narrowly edging out Rooker’s 470.53 by 0.08 feet — less than an inch. Bat speed is key Among the eight participants’ average bat speeds, Oneil Cruz ranked first at 78.6 mph, followed by Junior Caminero at 78mph. Cal Raleigh (75.1 mph) and Byron Buxton (75 mph) landed fourth and fifth, and fittingly, all four advanced to the semifinals, proviRead More
Five takeaways from 2025 MLB Home Run Derby
