A Grip on Sports: It may have come down to a matter of inches for Cal Raleigh to win the Home Run Derby, but that’s nothing compared to how close the M’s might be to actually succeeding

A GRIP ON SPORTS • Things that happened Monday in sports no one has ever seen before: a Home Run Derby participant advanced out of the first round by less than inch; a switch hitter won; a catcher won; and a Seattle Mariner not named Ken Griffey Jr. won. To be more succinct, Cal Raleigh won.

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• Is there anything that big guy with a big bootie can’t do? Thus far this season, the answer is no. But the next four months will present his biggest challenge. Leading the Mariners into the postseason once again.

Maybe we’re getting ahead of ourselves here. Today should be reserved for celebrating his accomplishment Monday night in Atlanta. With his dad pitching and his brother catching. The nation watching.

Yes, a centimeter or two meant the difference between Raleigh moving past his 17-home-run first round and into the semifinals. And, yea, MLB’s current home run leader is a TV draw, so that short space between his longest first-round homer and that of the A’s Brent Rooker, could easily have been a mirage to boost ratings. But I don’t believe so. Why? C’mon, now, when have the Mariners ever been the recipient of a good break?

It just doesn’t happen. Besides, Raleigh had been kind enough in that opening round to give the ESPN broadcast an entertainment boost by hitting from both sides of the plate. He has more pop from the left side, and while easily moving on in the semis and winning the final, he stayed there. The first-round switch was more for show.

(As an aside, Raleigh could have really upped the “can’t-miss this” quotient of his first round by bringing in Seattle farmhand Jurrangelo Cijntje, the minor’s only switch-pitcher, to throw BP from both sides.)

The final two rounds? Raleigh cruised past the Pirates’ Oneil Cruz, he of the prodigious blasts, 19-13. The final round, against Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero, was closer (18-15), but maybe that was for entertainment purposes only. Just as the M’s pre-All-Star Game showing has been.

Their pre-break sweep in Detroit – baseball’s best team, by record – helped, sure. It also lifted Seattle back into the third wild card spot – and cut Houston’s American League West lead to a manageable five games.  

That all seems a little short of expectations, though.

Especially considering the lineup includes baseball’s home run leader (Raleigh, duh, with 38), two all-star outfielders who are heating up (Julio Rodriguez and Randy Arozarena) and a veteran shortstop having a career year (J.P. Crawford). Throw in starting pitcher Bryan Woo’s coming-of-age season, three other starting pitchers seemingly on the cusp of hitting their stride (Luis Castillo, George Kirby and Logan Gilbert) and MLB’s fifth-best closer in terms of saves (Andres Munoz) and one would assume the M’s were cruising.

They are not.

Some will have you believe the best course is to package all (or most) of their minor league prospects for one exceptional bat. Maybe an aging superstar with some cost certainty but a history of injuries. A guy, who if he stays healthy, gives the M’s that one more bat everyone fears down the regular-season stretch and in the postseason.

Others will try to sell you that dealing any of the prospects is imprudent. Say the current core is young, the future is win-a-whole-bunch-of-titles bright and it’s not time to give up on any of the minor league stars. Horde them. Hold them. Let the great ones emerge and help in 2026 and beyond.

Neither course seems right. I know the middle ground is not a place our society values these days, in anything, but it’s where Jerry Dipoto’s front office needs to reside the next couple weeks.

Holes need filling, sure. A first and/or third baseman with pop would help. So would a couple decent late-middle relief arms.

Adding them, with or without future contract certainty, isn’t going to come cheap.

Dipoto’s team will have to make some tough choices. Try to determine which of the handful of guys such as Colt Emerson, Harry Ford and Lazaro Montes would bring a decent return and not go on to be the next Adam Jones, isn’t easy.

Getting it right, however, is what the next 16 days is all about.

The margins are thin. Maybe not Cal-Raleigh-moves-on-from-the-Home-Run-Derby’s-first-round thin, but pretty darn close. And the decisions hold even more significance for the franchise.    

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WSU: Around the (current, old and future) Pac-12 and the nation, when SEC commissioner Greg Sankey talks, Jon Wilner is sure to listen. And to dissect his statement in a Mercury News column. … Wilner also had a mailbag a few days late. … John Canzano’s mailbag appeared on the usual Monday. … Professional athletes have union protection. And those unions, whose future members are in college, are unhappy Congress may give schools and conferences anti-trust protection. … With Texas State headed to the Pac-12 next year, the Sun Belt backfilled with Louisiana Tech from Conference USA. … Colorado is happy with its special teams. … An Arizona safety is ready to make a bigger impact. … How do the Boise State players rank in the new video game? … The Mountain West’s media days begin tomorrow. … In basketball news, the Oregon women added an alum to its support staff. … Oregon State’s baseball program had seven players drafted. Oregon was close, with five.

Gonzaga: One of these days maybe we’ll take some time and evaluate the summer league performances of the Zags in Las Vegas. But we’re pretty confident the one who has added to his resume the most so far is Ryan Nembhard. Theo Lawson was at his third contest, and the first without top pick Cooper Flagg, to document Nembhard’s performance. … Where does Mark Few rank among the best college basketball coaches of the first quarter century? The Athletic has him seventh. I would move him up at least one spot due to longevity and maybe another due to never having been sanctioned by the NCAA.

EWU and Idaho: Around the Big Sky, a Montana football recruit was a reserve at his high school 10 months ago. … A Montana State women’s basketball recruit is trying to fulfill her dreams. … A Sacramento State men’s role player is headed to defending national champion Florida. … The Idaho State volleyball team will have 13 matches under its belt before it plays at home. … Northern Arizona’s new athletic department leader knows the place inside and out.

Preps: Riley Lupfer could always shoot the basketball. Even as a youngster in Spokane’s AAU league and during her time at Lewis and Clark High, her left-handed shot was always deadly. Same with her tenure at Boise State. So it should come as no surprise she is setting 3-point records overseas. Greg Lee connected with her during her Australian pro season and has this story.

Mariners: We linked the S-R’s Home Run Derby story above. Here too. And we add others from around the nation on Raleigh’s victory here and above. … Tonight’s starting All-Star lineups were announced Monday. … The MLB draft’s second day Monday saw the Mariners adding more college pitchers. … Why hasn’t MLB made it clear it will adjust its schedule to allow its players to participate in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics? You tell me. … Maybe it is because there might not be a 2027 season.

Storm: The WNBA’s future? It’s already here.

Sonics: Dale Ellis was in Spokane yesterday, participating in a youth basketball camp. Liam Bradford has more in this story. … There is another incremental expansion move coming soon from the NBA. We think. 

Seahawks: Hey, a Russell Wilson story. You are welcome. … The two second-round draft picks are unsigned.

Golf: The Open is this week from Northern Ireland. Who could win? Four names pop to mind.

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• Off to have my root canal work finished. A two-day process. How fun. Followed by a trip to have my eyes checked. No, I’m not worried about either. Much. Until later …