Mariners catcher and MLB homer leader Cal Raleigh to participate in Home Run Derby

SEATTLE (AP) — Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, who leads the majors in homers with 32, said Friday he will participate in next month’s Home Run Derby.

The derby will be held on July 14, the night before the All-Star Game, at Truist Park in Atlanta.

It’s the first derby appearance for the 28-year-old known as Big Dumper. This season, Raleigh became the first catcher and first switch-hitter to reach 30 homers before the All-Star break.

“I’m excited to represent the Mariners and our fanbase,” Raleigh said in a statement. “It will be extra special for me getting to do it in Atlanta, where I spent a lot of time playing baseball as a kid.”

No catcher has ever won the Home Run Derby, which began in 1985.

Raleigh becomes the eighth Seattle player to compete in the derby, joining Hall of Famers Ken Griffey Jr. and Edgar Martinez along with Jay Buhner, Alex Rodriguez, Bret Boone, Robinson Canó and current teammate Julio Rodríguez. Griffey won the event in 1994, 1998 and 1999, and in 1993, he became the only player to hit the B&O Warehouse at Camden Yards on the fly.

Entering Friday, Raleigh was batting .275 with 69 RBIs, 15 doubles and 47 walks in 79 games.