The Home Run Derby is always a nice interlude during the regular MLB season, with the game’s biggest hitters gathering to show off their talents.
Seattle Mariners slugger Cal Raleigh took home first place on Monday at Truist Stadium in Atlanta, fending off Junior Caminero by chalking up 18 home runs versus the Tampa Bay Rays star’s 15 in the final round:
This is the first time a catcher has won the event since its inception in 1985, although Raleigh was the pre-event favorite with sportsbooks as he’s leading the league with 36 home runs.
Some bettors were disgruntled following the result, though, as they questioned the accuracy of MLB’s system for measuring the distance of home runs. Raleigh won an elimination tiebreaker in the first round by less than an inch:
While the Home Run Derby is usually a bit of fun ahead of the All-Star Game, it’s also popular among bettors who try to predict the outright winner.
