For many, MLB All-Star Weekend is a time to watch the best players in all of baseball compete against one another in the All-Star Game, but for others, it’s a time to enjoy a power display of the league’s most prolific sluggers.
The Home Run Derby puts the individuals with the most pop in their bat behind the plate to see who can hit the most dingers in a small amount of time. On Wednesday, the players who will participate in the contest were announced, and the MLB certainly didn’t disappoint. Here is the complete list of the bats that will be featured in the competition:
Jesus Aguilar: .302 AVG, .631 SLG, 23 HR, 64 RBI
Javier Baez: .291 AVG, .557 SLG, 17 HR, 65 RBI
Alex Bregman: .282 AVG, .531 SLG, 19 HR, 59 RBI
Freddie Freeman: .312 AVG, .538 SLG, 16 HR, 59 RBI
Bryce Harper: .215 AVG, .471 SLG, 22 HR, 51 RBI
Rhys Hoskins: .258 AVG, .474 SLG, 14 HR, 56 RBI
Max Muncy: .272 AVG, .617 SLG, 21 HR, 39 RBI
Kyle Schwarber: .248 AVG, .496 SLG, 17 HR, 39 RBI
Favorite to win: Bryce Harper
Bryce Harper will likely come out on top at the end of the derby and here is why. Besides Harper, the rest of the contestants have never appeared in the Home Run Derby, and there may be a bit of a learning curve when you get up to the plate, and the ball is coming in at a fraction of the speed that they are used to. Harper also arguably has the most power of the group. With 22 homers on the year, he only trails Jesus Aguilar by only one dinger for the most in the contest but has showcased his slugging ability in years prior. Back in 2015, Harper blasted 42 home runs, tied for the NL lead.
If his power and experience aren’t enough to convince you that Harper is bound to be victorious, how about the fact that the derby will be taking place on his home turf. That’s right; the contest will play out in Washinton D.C., the city that Bryce Harper has called home for the last seven years of his professional career. He knows the spots where the fence is short, he knows the field better than anyone, giving him a distinct advantage over his competition.
Tune in on Monday night to find out if Bryce Harper can take home the Home Run Derby trophy for his fans in D.C.
