For years, we have watched the MLB Home Run Derby and seen a sea of kids shagging the balls that don’t make it past the outfield fence.
Have you ever been watching and wondering if any of the kids would try to make a highlight reel catch over the fence and rob a home run? It’s happened before. Forty years ago, Ryne Sandberg had a home run robbed in center field in the very first HR Derby, and since then, there has likely been plenty of instruction to those in the outfield not to try to catch any potential home runs.
Sometimes, though, intrusive thoughts win.
The 2025 MLB Home Run Derby will definitely be remembered. You had the winner, Cal Raleigh, getting pitched to by his dad while his younger brother was catching. You had Oneil Cruz launching a non-Coors Field record 513-foot home run. And you had a kid robbing a Junior Caminero home run in left field.
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Here’s more on Caminero’s getting a home run robbed at the 2025 MLB Home Run Derby.
MORE 2025 HOME RUN DERBY:
Ball boy robs Junior Caminero in Home Run Derby
Back in 1985, MLB didn’t have the outfield filled with kids shagging balls. Instead, they worked with a local high school and had the players in the outfield playing their positions. Sandberg hit one to dead center, and the ball boy robbed it. There wasn’t much fuss about it happening, as Dave Parker would go on to win the event.
Now, MLB fills the field with youngsters hoping to make a cool catch, but on balls that are hit well short of the wall. There hadn’t been an incident for 40 years, but that streak came to an end on Monday night.
Caminero had made it to the finals against Cal Raleigh. He went second in the round and knew that he had to try to catch up to the catcher’s 18 home runs in the round. Caminero’s swing right before his timeout will be remembered.
He hit a line drive to the left field fence, and you can watch as the fielder drifts over. The ball’s trajectory makes it look like it is right in line with the top of the fence. It likely would have hit the fence and hopped over, but instead, the kid made the play and robbed Caminero’s home run.
A KID JUST ROBBED JUNIOR CAMINERO’s HOME RUN IN THE FINAL ROUND pic.twitter.com/znFWAO9af9
— The Sports Place (@offsportsplace) July 15, 2025
One of the kids in the outfield really robbed Junior Caminero of a home run 😭
They ended up counting it as a homer anwyay pic.twitter.com/nzEu0vs5EO
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) July 15, 2025
Caminero took his timeout right after that swing. During his break, the other players on the field, including Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Elly De La Cruz, were advocating for Caminero, making circles with their fingers, trying to signal a home run. It was reviewed and determined that Caminero would be credited with a home run, despite the robbery.
While many took to social media to criticize the ball boy for making the play, he at least does have some fans out there. The Mariners posted on their official X account about him, and they feel like the kind of organization that’s going to either get him merch, or have him throw out a first pitch in the future.
team player 🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/w0jAuUtJwr
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) July 15, 2025
The Rays’ third baseman would go on to lose to Raleigh by three home runs, so it didn’t end up impacting the ending outside of creating a hilarious and memorable moment. Raleigh even played into it by saying, “I paid him off” to reporters when he was celebrating his win.
The ball boy has been identified as Sam Musterer. He described the situation, saying that he didn’t exactly know where he was in relation to the fence. “I wasn’t quite aware of where I was on the fence. I thought the fence was a little taller there. I kind of just reached up and grabbed it.”
