Home Run Derby tiebreaker, explained: Why Cal Raleigh advanced past Brent Rooker in first round by less than an inch

Baseball is a game of inches. This was proven even in the exhibition of the 2025 Home Run Derby. 

Athletics slugger Brent Rooker was the second competitor in the event, launching 17 total home runs with a max length of 471 feet. A batters later, the MLB home run leader, Cal Raleigh, came to the plate.

He also launched 17 home runs. There was one more batter to go, but the ESPN broadcasts were all over the place on what would happen with a tiebreaker. There were talks of a swing off and a coin toss, but what ended up happening feels even more ridiculous. 

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Here's what happened that allowed Raleigh to advance past Rooker in the 2025 MLB Home Run Derby. 

Home Run Derby tiebreaker, explained

Some of the most exciting Home Run Derby moments have come where there was a tiebreaker. Batters usually get a handful of swings, and it helps create tension in the moment, putting even more pressure on the hitters. 

Raleigh and Rooker both had 17 home runs and had a max distance of 471 feet. The first tiebreaker between hitters is the distance of their longest home run. The various ESPN broadcasters began speculating about what the process would be. They said that a swing-off wasn't allowed in the first round of the competition, then mentioned that it could come down to a coin toss. 

Instead of getting into that chaos, the MLB revealed the true distance of the home runs. They were called 471 feet, as the broadcast rounds their numbers, but MLB used the non-rounded numbers for the official measurements. 

Cal Raleigh advanced to the second round of the Home Run Derby by winning the tiebreaker over Brent Rooker by less than an inch 😳 pic.twitter.com/4O27P4BWyU

— ESPN (@espn) July 15, 2025

It was determined that Rooker's longest home run went 470.53 feet. Raleigh's was measured at 470.61 feet, meaning that the Mariners' switch-hitting catcher advanced in the competition by a margin of roughly 0.08 inches. 

Cal Raleigh advanced by LESS THAN 0.1 FEET 🤯 pic.twitter.com/Xu3BptW9Ej

— MLB (@MLB) July 15, 2025

Rooker was eliminated; Raleigh advanced. The second round of the Home Run Derby moves to a bracket-style format. Raleigh hit the fourth-most home runs in the first round, so he matched up with Oneil Cruz, who hit the most, including this record-tying 513 ft. home run.