Turns out Brent Rooker didn’t just bring his swing to the Home Run Derby — he brought the baby bottle, too.
The Athletics' slugger put on a show in the first round, cranking out 17 home runs, tying eventual champion Cal Raleigh. But in a Derby twist crueler than an umpire’s missed call, Rooker was eliminated on a technicality: the longest home run.
Raleigh edged him out by a margin so small it barely qualifies as measurable, just 0.08 feet. Yes, less than one inch.
Brent Rooker’s dad mode steals the show at the 2025 Home Run Derby
“My goodness gracious, that’s close,” Raleigh said later, trophy in hand and probably still shaking his head. Meanwhile, Rooker kept it classy but made a fair point.
“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.”
“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." - Brent Rooker on the Home Run Derby tiebreaker pic.twitter.com/8deYftsDEY
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) July 15, 2025
Fair enough. But here’s where Rooker really stole the show — and hearts.
After his elimination, while most guys were still locked into Derby mode, Rooker shifted into dad mode. Cameras caught the 29-year-old calmly feeding his 11-month-old daughter, Blake Eloise, a bottle on the field, like it was the most normal thing in the world. Because to him, it was. And that is a beautiful thing.
Brent Rooker's Daddy duties didn't stop during the Home Run Derby 🍼 pic.twitter.com/3z0N9WpIoR
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) July 15, 2025
But apparently, not everyone online was ready for that level of parenting in prime time.
“Hey Rooker…did you really need to feed your baby on camera? Sometimes people just want to see you play,” one viewer posted on X.
Rooker’s clapback was Hall of Fame-level dad energy.
"Yes, it was necessary to feed my 11-month-old child her nighttime bottle at like 9:00 p.m. Thank you for asking.”
And just like that, X handed out its real trophy, not for distance, but for priorities.
Brent Rooker may have been bounced from the Derby by the slimmest of margins, but he walked off the field with a win that matters more. Homers are cool. Bottles at bedtime? That’s legendary.
Call it what you want — a viral moment, a dad flex, a mic-drop in Pampers — but Brent Rooker showed the world what it looks like to go yard in life.