Strategy shift works for Raleigh

New York Times

9 hours ago

Follow live as eight MLB sluggers launch homers in Atlanta Getty Images Getty Images
About halfway through the round, Raleigh switched to the right side. He hit eight on the left.
Raleigh added seven from the right side. He's at 15 heading into the bonus round.
Cal Raleigh just hit back-to-back home runs that landed on top of the "Chop House" building beyond Truist Park's right-field fencing. He has an early eight home runs before calling timeout to talk with his father and Mariners teammates. Let's see if the switch-hitter switches sides... Oneil Cruz: 21 Junior Caminero: 21 Byron Buxton: 20 Brent Rooker: 17 James Wood: 16 Jazz Chisholm Jr.: 3
Ties are broken by which player hit the longest home run. Getty Images
Superstar Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, having a prolific 2025 season with 38 home runs before the All-Star break, is now up. His dad is pitching to him!
Everyone knows the infamous "Ya like Jazz" meme from The Bee Movie. The Truist Park crowd would definitely say "NO."
Your question now: Was THAT fun, Jazz? Yeah? Was that fun for you?
Nevermind. Jazz Chisholm Jr. has unfortunately entered the ranks of players to do terrible in the Home Run Derby.
"It's just BP," he said earlier today.
Jazz also didn't practice in the days leading up to the derby like some others. He thought that would help him.
"I'm just here to have fun," he said. "That's what really went into it. I'm not really gonna over do it, overthink like, 'Ah, I got to do this when I'm out there.' Just let it come naturally."
Sadly, the power of anime and good vibes were not on Jazz's side tonight. At the very least, he won't be part of the "Zero homers at the Home Run Derby club," which is a very sizable list.
Let's collectively agree to move on, forget about Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s round and get back to the fun. Getty Images
The Yankees star finishes at just three home runs, but teammates including Aaron Judge still come out to dap him up.
ESPN chose a good time to have Chris Sale on set for an impromptu interview. It allowed the broadcast to focus more on Sale chopping it up with a crew that includes ex-White Sox teammate Todd Frazier instead of Jazz Chisholm's round, which ends at just three home runs. The bonus round is coming up next, but barring a miracle, Chisholm is done. Getty Images
To my colleagues' point, Jazz Chisholm has just one home run in his first 18 swings with 1:20 left. The obligatory brutal Home Run Derby round has arrived.
The Derby announcer is telling fans not to count out Jazz but unless he goes ham in the next 1:25, he's as good as gone. Getty Images
There's always gotta be one Derby round that makes you wish you could fast-forward through it, for the guy's sake. Jazz Chisholm Jr. is having that round.
It's a family affair at the Home Run Derby as Jazz Chisholm Jr. is having his step-father pitch to him. Cal Raleigh has assembled a team with his father and brother pitching and catching, respectively. Elsewhere, Byron Buxton's designated Gatorade givers were his sons.
I know the rules have changed a lot, but whatever happened to guys coming out and doing terrible in the Home Run Derby? Chipper Jones hitting only two homers in 2000 scarred me as a child. And that was actually better than when he hit only one homer in 1998. Troy Glaus, Bret Boone, Jason Bay and Brandon Inge are among players who didn't hit a single home run in their appearances.
It's a crime that Chisholm's walkup isn't All That Jazz.
No one appreciates a musical anymore.
Really good move for MLB media to have a former player (and a slugger) like Ryan Howard handle the post-round interviews for Derby contestants. Even though we can't hear what he's saying on ESPN, players seem thrilled to see him.