2025 MLB All-Star Game: Players who are halfway to history - ESPN

This year, the MLB All-Star Game isn't just a collection of the game's biggest stars, but a glimpse at baseball history in the making.

The 2025 Midsummer Classic marks the unofficial midway point of some of the greatest seasons the sport has ever seen.

Will Home Run Derby champion Cal Raleigh — aka the Big Dumper — set a new standard for slugging catchers? Will Shohei Ohtani score more runs in a season than any living person has ever seen? Will Aaron Judge… top Aaron Judge?

As the best from the major leagues convene in Atlanta, Bradford Doolittle and David Schoenfield break down 11 players who are halfway to history. For each, ESPN MLB reporters Jorge Castillo and Jesse Rogers asked one of the player's fellow All-Stars to weigh in on his accomplishments, as they all get set to take the field together at Truist Park.

The most impressive thing he could accomplish: Well, we can add Home Run Derby champion to the list after Raleigh's impressive showing Monday night. With 38 home runs through 96 team games, Raleigh is on pace for 64, which would break Judge's American League record of 62 set in 2022. That's the big one. There are a whole bunch of other records in play: most home runs by a switch-hitter (Mickey Mantle, 54); most home runs by a primary catcher (Salvador Perez, 48); most multihomer games in a season (Raleigh has eight, the record is 11); and even highest catcher WAR in a season (Mike Piazza with 8.7 bWAR, Raleigh is on pace for 8.4; Buster Posey with 9.8 fWAR, Raleigh is on pace for 10.4). In other words, he could have the greatest season ever for a catcher.

«The Big Dumper» has been the Northwest's secret star. Now he's hitting the big time. Jeff Passan »

How he's doing it: Raleigh has always been better