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.

Raleigh will become the second-ever player to switch hit in the Derby ( Adley Rutschman in 2023, lost 2nd round), plus no catcher has ever won the derby. This is year 39 of the event, so odds are against Raleigh despite him being the favorite.

Home Run Derby takes place Monday, July 14 to kick off the MLB All-Star break. The format for this year's competition remains the same as it did in 2024, where the top four hitters from the opening round will advance to the knockout bracket where there will be head-to-head matchups.

At +300, Raleigh is the favorite to win the 2025 HR derby, but Washington’s James Wood (+425) should also be a top contender, as he is truly delivering an impressive breakthrough season. Matt Olson (+800), who is replacing Acuna, will naturally be the favorite for the home crowd. Junior Caminero is a very tempting longshot, too, at +1200.

On a day that was defined early on about the next promising face to join the organization via the MLB Draft, it was the two homegrown picks who’ve blossomed into franchise fixtures who helped Seattle

Bigger markets have been thrown out as his destination, but this prediction is that Suarez and his 31 homers will come back to Seattle. The Mariners have more top-100 prospects than any team in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline. And they need an upgrade on Ben Williamson at third base.

None of the players from last year’s Derby are participating in 2025, which levels the playing field even further. Seattle’s Cal Raleigh is the current betting favorite at +295. Raleigh leads the Major Leagues with 38 home runs, which is already four more than his previous career high.

MLB All-Star Game takes over Truist Park tonight, bringing together the league’s biggest names and electrifying matchups.