PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – The Pirates history in Home Run Derby’s had been bleak, however Oneil Cruz made it farther than anyone before being stopped by the 2025 first-half home run leader, and eventual winner, Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh.
Making it into the semifinals by an inch, Raleigh slammed 19 home runs in the second-round matchup with Cruz, who hit 13. If Cruz had been in the other semifinal, he would have only needed nine to win (although Junior Caminero stopped before time was up after beating Byron Buxton’s total).
The 26-year-old Cruz was the eighth seed, or lowest seed, heading into the event, but hit the hardest and farthest home run and also tied for the most in one round, opening with 21.
After starting a little slow in the first round, Cruz’s third home run was 488 feet, a few later, a ball traveled 483 feet. Then the hardest and farthest homer of the night. He hit his eighth home run 118 miles-an-hour and it traveled 513 feet. He would hit his last homer of the first round 117 mph and hit another 487 feet. In all Cruz hit 1.78 miles of home runs in the first round.
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In the second round, Cruz’s longest was 498 feet and had one that traveled 119 miles an hour, the hardest hit ball of the competition. He totaled 1.11 miles of home runs in round two.
Seven other Pirates had participated in the Home Run Derby
· Bobby Bonilla, 1990, finished fourth (no home runs) tied with Jose Canseco, Cecil Fielder, Ken Griffey, Junior and Darryl Strawberry
· Barry Bonds, 1992, finished 8th (2 home runs) as Mark McGwire won
· Jason Bay, 2005, finished 8th (no home runs) as Bobby Abreu won
· Andrew McCutchen, 2012, finished 5th (4 home runs) as Prince Fielder won
· Pedro Alvarez, 2013, finished 5th (6 home runs) as Yoenis Cespedes won
· Josh Bell, 2019, lost in first round 25-18 to Ronald Acuna. Bell didn’t move to the next round despite the 4th most HR of the 8. Pete Alonso won