Brewers pitcher Trevor Megill didn’t hesitate to say what he was most looking forward to during All-Star Week. “Oneil Cruz hitting home runs,” he said. “That boy can mash a baseball, man. He’s impressive.

Raleigh will become the second-ever player to switch hit in the Derby ( Adley Rutschman in 2023, lost 2nd round), plus no catcher has ever won the derby. This is year 39 of the event, so odds are against Raleigh despite him being the favorite.

In a great many ways, Cruz is a baseball anomaly. He, too, has predecessors, though, including one whose legacy is stamped quite literally on Cruz's identity: former Yankees and Reds outfielder Paul O'Neill.

Ahead of his scheduled start in the 2025 MLB All-Star Game, Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes arrived to the festivities in style.