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. 

MORE 2025 HOME RUN DERBY:

• Baseball fans upset with ESPN's 'dizzying' camera work
• Oneil Cruz ties longest non-Coors Field HR in dazzling first round
• Jazz Chisholm Jr. disappoints with worst round since 2014
• Ball boy 'robs' Junior Caminero with leaping catch in final round
• Full list of past Home Run Derby champions

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 A's slugger wasn't happy about the way that he was eliminated. 

Rooker tells me: "You know, maybe if they have it to the decimal point, they should display that during the Derby and not wait till everyone's done to bring out that information that might be helpful."

— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) July 15, 2025

Brent Rooker on the HR Derby Tiebreaker with Cal Raleigh https://t.co/bXR4FBkIUl pic.twitter.com/IJXc0E1m2e

— Baseball Isn’t Boring (@BBisntBoring) July 15, 2025

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.

The catcher would get past Cruz 19-13 and match up with the Rays' Junior Caminero in the finals. Raleigh was up first and clobbered 18 home runs. Caminero only hit 15, leading to Raleigh becoming the first catcher ever to win the Home Run Derby. While it's very exciting for him, you have to think he is always going to hear about the convoluted tiebreaker that led to his win.