The 2025 Home Run Derby, to take place July 14 at Truist Park just outside of Atlanta, is still in the early stages of setting its field. However, the fledgling bracket already has a pair of big names attached to it.

The first player to declare, hometown star Ronald Acuna Jr., is sure to be the most popular player of the night. However, Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, colloquially referred to as ‘Big Dumper,’ has had a torrid first half of the season and is looking to become the first catcher to win the derby and the first switch hitter to win it undisputed.

As with every year in the Home Run Derby, however, there have been some notable declinations. The past two winners − the Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Dodgers’ Teoscar Hernandez − will not participate in this year’s iteration. Two-way star Shohei Ohtani also will not compete, stating ‘the current rules are tough. I don’t think there’s a chance,’ per Bleacher Report.

USA TODAY Sports is tracking which players will be in the 2025 Home Run Derby, with updates as well below.

Who is in 2025 Home Run Derby?

The 2025 Home Run Derby currently has two players in the mix: Braves star Ronald Acuna and Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, who has stolen the national spotlight with 32 home runs through June 28.

Here’s the list as it continues to grow, along with how many seasons and career home runs they have so far.

• Ronald Acuna Jr., Atlanta Braves OF (9 HR in 2025, 174 career)
• Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners C (32 HR in 2025, 125 career)

Latest Home Run Derby participant updates

This section will be updated as players accept, decline invitations

Who won Home Run Derby 2024?

The Dodgers’ Teoscar Hernandez will be passing off the Home Run Derby crown. The Dodgers slugger eked out a win over the Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr. with 14 home runs in the final round, one more than Witt’s 13. Witt, finished with one more homer for the overall event, hitting 50 to Hernandez’s 49.

Hernandez, however, will not be returning, saying his attention is on a Dodgers World Series repeat in 2025.

“I was considering it at the beginning, but not right now,’ Hernandez told AM 570 LA Sports on June 27. ‘I think I’m not going to do it this year. Maybe next year. Because last year, when I finished the Home Run Derby, I was a little tired, tight. My body was a little tired, and with the injury that I had with my groin this year, I don’t want to put anything at risk. So I’m going to stay put and not participate this year.”

Elly De La Cruz declines Home Run Derby invite

In addition to Hernandez and Ohtani, another major name has declined an invite to Atlanta. Reds wunderkind shortstop Elly De La Cruz will not participate, but the door isn’t closed for the future.

“The time is going to come,” he said, per The Cincinnati Enquirer, part of the USA TODAY network. “But not now.”

Dave Parker, the two-time World Series winner and two-time batting champion whose dangerous exploits at the plate earned him the nickname Cobra, died Saturday after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease, just one month before he was to be inducted into baseball’s Hall of Fame.

Parker, 74, was an imposing left-handed hitting threat on two power-packed championship teams, the 1979 “We Are Family” Pirates and the 1989 “Bash Brothers” Oakland Athletics. He hit 339 home runs and won National League batting titles in 1977 (.338) and 1978 (.334) for the Pirates.

Parker never earned more than 24.5% support in 15 years of Hall of Fame voting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, well short of the 75% required. But he was named on 14 of 16 ballots in December voting by the Classic Baseball Era Committee and will be elected alongside fellow Pennsylvania legend Dick Allen next month.

But neither will be around to see it. Parker was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2013 and his prominence in the public eye diminished in the decade-plus since.

“I’m a battler,” Parker said in 2018.

That was evidenced in his climb to the Hall of Fame, and while he won’t be there for the induction, he was able to celebrate last December, when his election was announced.

“I’ve been holding this speech in for 15 years,” Parker told MLB Network that night.

Parker left such an impact that he’s a member of both the Pirates’ and Cincinnati Reds’ halls of fame. He was the 1978 NL MVP, when he led the majors in both batting average (.334) and OPS (.979), slammed 30 homers and earned an NL-best 7.0 WAR.

One year later, Parker banged out 193 hits and 20 home runs and, alongside Willie “Pops” Stargell, helped lead the Pirates to their first World Series title since 1960. Parker had a dominant postseason performance, getting four hits in 12 at-bats in an NL Championship Series sweep of the Reds, and was 10-for-29 (.345) and drove in four runs in the Pirates epic seven-game triumph over the Baltimore Orioles.

Parker left Pittsburgh for Cincinnati after the 1983 season but was still in his prime. He led the NL with 42 doubles and 125 RBIs in 1985 and earned All-Star nods in two of his four seasons with Cincinnati.

In 1989, he was the oldest player on a brash, power-hitting Oakland A’s team that featured beefed-up sluggers Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire and Hall of Fame leadoff man Rickey Henderson. Parker hit 22 homers as the A’s primary DH as he added a second championship to his portfolio. He made his seventh and final All-Star team one year later with Milwaukee.

‘Dave Parker was a gifted all-around player whose numerous accomplishments led to his upcoming induction in Cooperstown this summer,’ MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. ‘He was a World Series Champion with the 1979 Pirates and the 1989 Athletics, a beloved All-Star Red in his hometown of Cincinnati, and an All-Star in Milwaukee. Dave was also a three-time Gold Glover on the strength of his famous arm, a two-time batting champion, and the winner of the inaugural Home Run Derby in 1985.’All of us throughout the game are deeply saddened by this loss. We will remember the Cobra forever, especially as his name soon officially joins the legends of our national pastime.’

In 2019, Parker was the subject of a 90-minute documentary produced by MLB Network, “The Cobra at Twilight,” which did not glaze over any of his career.

In 1985, Parker was called to testify before a grand jury in a trial that resulted in the conviction of six Pittsburgh men and a Philadelphia Phillies clubhouse worker on 11 counts of distributing cocaine.

Parker acknowledged he battled addiction from 1979 to 1982 and used that experience to mentor young players to avoid mistakes he made earlier in his career.

“The thing that resonated with me more than anything was that he did not want me to drift into some of the things off the field that he did,” Eric Davis, the Reds’ All-Star outfielder and Parker teammate, recalled in the documentary.

Yet Parker was a trailblazer in so many other ways. He was just the second ballplayer to earn at least $1 million a season when he signed a five-year, $5 million contract with the Pirates, with a sartorial style that arguably captured the late ’70s ethos better than anyone.

He returned to his native Cincinnati after that contract expired and became a beloved Red, even as the franchise failed to recapture the glory of the Big Red Machine years featuring another native son, Pete Rose.  

Eventually, Parker’s body of work was recognized by the Hall of Fame, setting the stage for an emotional celebration of life and career next month in Cooperstown.

“We join the baseball family in remembering Dave Parker. His legacy will be one of courage and leadership, matched only by his outstanding accomplishments on the field,” says Jane Forbes Clark, chairman of the Baseball Hall of Fame. “His election to the Hall of Fame in December brought great joy to him, his family and all the fans who marveled at his remarkable abilities.

“We will honor his incredible life and career at next month’s induction ceremony in Cooperstown, where his legacy will be remembered forever.”  

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ATLANTA — If Lionel Messi and Inter Miami’s cast of former Barcelona stars hope to pull off one of the biggest upsets soccer may ever see against Paris Saint-Germain in the FIFA Club World Cup, they’ll have to outsmart one person who may know them all the best.

Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Javier Mascherano last raised the Champions League trophy together with Barcelona in 2015 under the leadership of coach Luis Enrique.

Ten years later, Enrique reached the sport’s mountaintop again, leading Paris Saint-Germain to its first Champions League title last month.

Now, they’ll reunite again on the same pitch Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium – this time as adversaries with plenty of love and respect at the forefront of their round-of-16 matchup in the Club World Cup.

“I’m sure it’s going to be much more difficult than anyone can imagine,” Enrique said Saturday night before the match.

“They have the level. They have the quality. And they are winners. They’re players who have won a lot throughout their careers (with) that spirit inside them they’ve had all their lives.

“Emotionally, it’s very difficult to prepare for a game like this.”

It’ll be Messi’s first match against PSG since leaving the French club in July 2023 to join Inter Miami.

And he’s leading a Major League Soccer club just five years into its existence into a match against the European champions.

Inter Miami is the biggest underdog of any team in the Club World Cup round of 16. They have +1050 odds to beat PSG, the heavy favorite at -450, according to BetMGM.

But Enrique isn’t overlooking the opponent one bit.

He knows better.

Especially coaching against No. 10 on the other side.

“I had the opportunity to meet Leo Messi at the height of his career. Leo Messi’s peak has lasted 10, 15 years – I don’t know how long it will last,” Enrique said. “He is the best soccer player in history – without a doubt.”

Enrique still believes Messi, Suarez, Alba and Busquets are at the top of their games.

He looks forward to the few moments they’ll share together on the pitch Sunday, before and after the whistle is blown.

“When you give it some space and look back at what we’ve been through over the years, a smile appears on your face, and you want to share things again – even if it’s just 10 minutes before or after the game,” Enrique said.

Rising PSG star Désiré Doué, a 20-year-old who scored twice in the Champions League final, is excited to face Messi and the other Barcelona legends.

“Yes, it’s a special match, but it’s still a soccer game,” Doué told DAZN. “We’re lucky to be able to play against one of the greatest players in history and some of the greatest players who have marked the history of soccer.”

Messi’s heroics will be key if Inter Miami is going to pull off an upset against PSG, which dominated Inter Milan 5-0 in the Champions League final on May 31.

Messi’s free-kick goal against Porto in Atlanta on June 19 is Inter Miami’s defining moment in the Club World Cup to this point. It was instrumental in helping them reach the knockout stage of a tournament featuring 32 of the best clubs in the world.

Some would argue Inter Miami has already peaked in the Club World Cup. They were the only MLS club to reach this point, while the Seattle Sounders and Los Angeles FC both failed to win a match during the group stage.

Many don’t expect them to pull off the upset on Sunday.

Even they know the odds are stacked against them.

“It’s clear and we’re not naïve – we know that we’re the weaker team, but that doesn’t mean you can kill us off beforehand. We’re going to fight, which is what it’s all about,” Mascherano said.

“I think the nice thing about (Sunday’s) match is that we’ve earned the right to play it. … The challenge is to come out tomorrow and test ourselves against what is possibly the best team in the world today.”

Added Inter Miami defender Marcelo Weigandt: “We are a very humble team. We try to give our all. And hopefully, God willing, tomorrow will be kind to us and we can get a good result.”

Ilia Topuria said he would knock out Charles Oliveira in the first round of their UFC 317 bout on Saturday for the vacant UFC Lightweight Championship belt. He did just that.

Topuria vacated his Featherweight title to move up to Lightweight division in April and the move paid off. He knocked out Oliveira in the first round of the main event to win the UFC Lightweight Championship, marking his third straight knockout win. With the victory, Topuria (17-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) became the first undefeated fighter and only the 10th fighter in UFC history to become a champion in two divisions.

The UFC Lightweight belt was up for grabs after champion Islam Makhachev moved up to the Welterweight division. 

Oliveira previously held the UFC Featherweight title from May 2021 to May 2022, when he was stripped of the belt ahead of his second title defense after missing weight by half a pound. It marked the first time in UFC history that a defending champion lost a title due to missing weight. 

USA TODAY Sports recapped UFC 317 and provided analysis through each fight:

UFC 317 main card results

Main event: Ilia Topuria def. Charles Oliveira via KO – Round 1, 2:27

• For the vacant UFC lightweight title

Round 1: Charles Oliveira started attacking Ilia Topuria’s legs early. Topuria landed a shot to Oliveira’s head that resulted in a gash above right eye. Oliveira landed a takedown, but Topuria ended up on top. Oliveira almost got Topuria into a leg lock, but Topuria wiggled free and the two fighters returned to their feet. Topuria knocked Oliveira out cold with a right hook that he followed up with a left hook. Topuria finished Oliveira off with a follow-up shot on the ground to end the fight in the first round as he stated he would.

We have a new UFC lightweight champion, Ilia Topuria.

Alexandre Pantoja def. Kai Kara-France via submission (rear-naked choke) 

• For Pantoja’s UFC flyweight title

Round 1: Kai Kara-France came out swinging and Pantoja quickly took him down and gained control of Kara-France’s back. Fans started to boo to the bewilderment of the commentators. Pantoja threw nasty body shots as he locked his legs around Kara-France’s abdomen. Kara-France attempted to wiggle free and Pantoja mounted Kara-France and almost got an arm bar. Pantoja maintained control on the ground and dominated the round.

Round 2: Pantoja caught Kara-France with a loud body kick to the left abdomen that left a mark. Kara-France countered with some kicks of his own, but they didn’t appear to impact Pantoja. They exchanged some blows before Pantoja took Kara-France down again. Kara-France worked his way to his feet and tried a take down of his own. Pantoja appears to be slowing down, but ended the round with a kick that made Kara-France stumble back.

Round 3: Pantoja came out with another body kick and clinched Kara-France against the cage before scoring another take down. Pantoja got on Kara-France’s back and locked his legs around his waist again in a dominant position. Pantoja worked himself into position for a rear naked chokehold, forcing Kara-France to tap.

And still the UFC flyweight champion, Alexandre Pantoja.

Joshua Van def. Brandon Royval by unanimous decision

Joshua Van may have taken this fight on three weeks notice, but he came out sharp and landed several shots to Royval’s head. Royval focused on Van’s body early on, but Van brilliantly countered many of Royval’s shots. The second round opened with a flurry of punches from both fighters, who remained on their feet the entire round. Royval and Van both landed shots as the bout continued to be very close. The action picked back up in the third round as Royval and Van continued to duke it out without a single take down attempt. Both fighters were bloodied and battered but continued to throw punches at a high clip in the middle of the Octagon. Van knocked down Royval with a right hook to the chin with seconds remaining in the third round. Van won by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27). Van declared that he broke his right big toe three weeks ago.

Beneil Dariush def. Renato Moicano via unanimous decision

Dariush dropped Moicano early in the first round with a kick, but Moicano responded with a punch that knocked down Dariush. The two fighters then jockeyed for position on the ground before returning to their feet. More grappling ensued in the second round with Dariush dominating the exchanges. Dariush again took down Moicano in the third round, but Moicano reversed and almost took Dariush back before he got free. They returned to their feet. A fatigued Moicano had some moments in the third round, but it was too little too late. Dariush won by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).

Payton Talbot def. Felipe Lima via unanimous decision

Lima caught Talbot with some punishing punches early on and attempted to take Talbot down, but Talbot continually took control on the ground and showed his improved grappling skills. Talbot defeated Lima by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).

UFC 317: Time, PPV, streaming for Oliveira vs. Oliveira

The match between Charles Oliveira and Ilia Oliveira will take place on Saturday, June 28 and can be purchased on ESPN+ PPV.

• Date: Saturday, June 28
• Location: T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas
• Early prelims start time: 7 p.m. ET
• Early prelims stream: UFC Fight Pass
  • Welterweight Jacobe Smith def. Niko Price via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 4:03 
  • Heavyweight Jhonata Diniz def. Alvin Hines via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Prelims card start time: 8 p.m. ET
• Prelims card TV: ESPN; Prelims stream: ESPN+, Disney+
  • Middleweight Gregory Rodrigues def. Jack Hermansson via KO (punch) – Round 1, 4:21
  • Featherweight Jose Miguel Delgado def. Hyder Amil via KO (knee and punches) – Round 1, 0:26
  • Women’s flyweight Tracy Cortez def. Vivian Araujo via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Lightweight Terrance McKinney def. Viacheslav Borshchev via submission (Guillotine choke) – Round 1, 0:55
• Main card start time: 10 p.m. ET
• Main card stream: ESPN+ PPV
  • Ilia Topuria vs Charles Oliveira; For the vacant UFC lightweight title
  • UFC flyweight title: Champ Alexandre Pantoja def. Kai Kara-France via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 1:55
  • Flyweight Joshua Van def. Brandon Royval via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
  • Lightweight Beneil Dariush def. Renato Moicano via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Bantamweight Payton Talbot def. Felipe Lima via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Catch UFC action with an ESPN+ subscription

UFC 317 prelim results

Gregory Rodrigues def. Jack Hermansson via KO (punch)

Gregory Rodrigues caught Jack Hermansson with a left hook to the chin that stunned Hermansson and knocked him out cold. Rodrigues landed one more punch before referee Herb Dean called the fight. Hermansson remained down in the Octagon several minutes after.

Jose Miguel Delgado def. Hyder Amil via KO (knee and punches)

It only took Jose Miguel Delgado 26 seconds to defeat Hyder Amil. Delgado dropped Amil with a knee to the chin.

Tracy Cortez def. Vivian Araujo via unanimous decision

Cortez dominated Araujo on the ground and won by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).

Terrance McKinney def Viacheslav Borshchev via submission (Guillotine choke)

The bout between Terrance McKinney and Viacheslav Borshchev was over soon after it began. McKinney caught a kick from Borshchev and immediately took him down. McKinney went for the Anaconda choke, before mounting Borschchev for the Guillotine choke after 55 seconds in the first round. ‘I want to show people I’m well-rounded,’ McKinney said after his win.

Jacobe Smith def. Niko Price via submission (rear naked choke)

Jacobe Smith remains undefeated after making Niko Price tap in the second round by way of a rear-naked choke, which marked the first submission of Smith’s career.

Jhonata Diniz def. Alvin Hines via Unanimous decision

Alvin Hines’ UFC debut didn’t go according to plan. Hines and Diniz went the distance, but the judges crowned Diniz the winner by unanimous decision, 29-28, 29-28, 29-28.

UFC reporter Megan Olivi announces maternity leave

FOX Sports reporter Megan Olivi, who covers the UFC and NFL for the network, announced that UFC 317 will be her last assignment before going on maternity leave. Olivi is expecting her first child with husband Joseph Benavidez, the former UFC flyweight title challenger.

‘Incredibly grateful to be healthy enough to work this event – not gonna lie, it feels pretty empowering,’ Olivi wrote on X. In a post on Instagram, she captioned a photo of her interviewing various UFC stars alongside her baby bump: ‘I cannot wait for this card … then it’s off to maternity leave to have a baby next week lol.’

UFC 317 preliminary and main card start times

• Early prelims: 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+, Disney+)
• Prelims: 8 p.m. ET (ESPN, ESPN+, Disney+)
• Main card: 10 p.m. ET (PPV on ESPN+)

UFC 317: Topuria vs. Oliveira card

Fight card according to ESPN.

Main Card:

• Ilia Topuria vs Charles Oliveira; For the vacant UFC lightweight title
• Alexandre Pantoja vs Kai Kara-France; For Pantoja’s UFC flyweight title
• Brandon Royval vs Joshua Van; Flyweight
• Beneil Dariush vs. Renato Moicano; Lightweight
• Payton Talbot vs Felipe Lima; Bantamweight

Prelims:

• Jack Hermansson vs Gregory Rodrigues; Middleweight
• Hyder Amil vs Jose Miguel Delgado; Featherweight
• Vivian Araujo vs Tracy Cortez; Women’s flyweight
• Terrance McKinney vs Viacheslav Borshchev; Lightweight

Early Prelims:

• Niko Price vs Jacobe Smith; Welterweight
• Heavyweight Jhonata Diniz def. Alvin Hines via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Christopher Ewert vs Jackson McVey; Middleweight

UFC 317: Ilia Topuria vs. Charles Oliveira predictions

MMA Junkie: Volkanovski predicts Topuria knocks out Oliveira

Farah Honnoun writes:  ‘I think Ilia’s going to get the win. I think Ilia can catch him. I reckon early knockout – early knockout for Ilia Topuria. … He doesn’t just come forward and just stand in your face. He has a lot of movement. You see him slipping and slipping and trying to find his way in.’

ESPN: Experts pick Ilia Topuria

Anthony Smith writes: ‘Everything I look at in this matchup tells me to pick Ilia. He’s a better technical boxer. Against Josh Emmett in 2023, he showed he was defensively responsible, even though he had no problem standing in the pocket. Most people who avoid taking a big shot from Emmett do it by refusing to engage with him and backing away. Ilia is so technically sound, which is extremely impressive. And if he gets on top of Charles on the ground, I think he’ll do serious damage.’

Forbes: Ilia Topuria to beat Charles Oliveira

Trent Reinsmith writes: ‘If Oliveira approaches this fight like he has been competing as of late, he will be in trouble. That means Oliveira cannot opt to strike in range against Topuria, who is a powerful striker with good footwork and finishing skills. Oliveira must fight at distance and keep Topuria from getting in close. Oliveira has not shown a willingness to fight that type of battle.’

UFC 317 live stream

The Ilia Topuria vs. Charles Oliveira early prelims and prelims fight will be available to stream on ESPN+ and Disney+, while the main card will be streamed on ESPN Pay-Per-View.

UFC 317 price

UFC events are available to ESPN+ subscribers. The cost of the service is $10.99 a month or $109.99 for the year. The PPV is available for an additional $79.99.

UFC 317 odds: Ilia Topuria vs. Charles Oliveira fight card

*All odds via BetMGM

Main Card:

• Ilia Topuria (-450) vs. Charles Oliveira (+325); For the vacant UFC lightweight title
• Alexandre Pantoja (-250) vs. Kai Kara-France (+200); For Pantoja’s UFC flyweight title
• Brandon Royval (EVEN) vs. Joshua Van (-120); Flyweight
• Beneil Dariush (-110) vs. Renato Moicano (-110); Lightweight
• Payton Talbot (-150) vs. Felipe Lima (-180); Bantamweight

Prelims:

• Jack Hermansson (+190) vs. Gregory Rodrigues (-235); Middleweight
• Hyder Amil (+135) vs. Jose Miguel Delgado (-170); Featherweight
• Vivian Araujo (+210) vs. Tracy Cortez(-260); Women’s flyweight
• Terrance McKinney (-175) vs. Viacheslav Borshchev (+145); Lightweight

Early Prelims:

• Niko Price (+1000) vs. Jacobe Smith (-3000); Welterweight
• Jhonata Diniz (-370) vs. Alvin Hines (+280); Heavyweight
• Christopher Ewert (+125) vs. Jackson McVey (-150); Middleweight

Ilia Topuria vs. Charles Oliveira: Tale of the tape

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