Home Run Derby Winner Cal Raleigh to Play for U.S. in World Baseball Classic

Seattle Mariners catcher and recent 2025 Home Run Derby winner Cal Raleigh agreed to play for the U.S. team at next year’s World Baseball Classic, joining captain Aaron Judge, Paul Skenes and Bobby Witt Jr.

USA Baseball announced the decision Monday before Raleigh participated in the Home Run Derby. The 28-year-old entered the All-Star break leading the major leagues with 38 homers and 82 RBIs.

The 20-nation WBC will be played from March 5-17. Japan is the defending champion.

Also on Monday, the World Baseball Softball Confederation said the baseball tournament at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics will be played from July 15-20 at Dodger Stadium. MLB is considering whether it can interrupt its 2028 season to allow players to participate.

There will be two groups of three teams during a preliminary round over three days, with two games per day. The group winners advance to the semifinals, while the other teams compete in a pair of quarterfinals. Semifinals will be played on July 19, and the gold and bronze medal games the next day.

The softball tournament will be played from July 23-29 at OKC Softball Park in Oklahoma City. A five-day round-robin will be played on July 28, followed by the gold medal game the next day.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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