The Home Run Derby: 8 Sluggers Duke It Out

The eight sluggers for the MLB Home Run Derby have been determined. The yearly event will occur at the Globe Life field in Texas on Monday at 8 p.m.

Most players are rookies in the derby, although New York Mets Pete Alonso is playing for the fifth consecutive time. This year's derby will have a revised framework to moderate previous editions' fast-paced action.

Players will now be limited to 40 pitches during the first two rounds of competition, which last three minutes each. In the past, hitters were given unlimited pitches during those rounds, which resulted in a frantic pace that raised concerns about injuries after every player averaged more than 43 pitches.

The eight contestants will no longer go head-to-head in the first round. The top four players from the first round move on to a four-player, head-to-head semifinal round and a two-minute, 27-pitch final round, with ties broken by the longest home run hit.

Let's take a look at our players:

Gunnar Henderson (Baltimore Orioles)

As of right now, Gunnar Henderson has hit 27 homers. His hardest-hit home run of the season came on April 29 at 112.3 mph against the Yankees. His longest home run this season came at 430 feet on June 10 against the Rays.

In Henderson's 2023 Rookie of the Year campaign, he smacked 28 home runs. In the first half of the '24 season, he's almost matched that total. Adley Rutschman, catcher, will attend the All-Star Games with Gunnar while he makes his Derby debut; Rutschman made his debut in the Derby in Seattle last season.

Pete Alonso (New York Mets)

Pete Alonso has hit 18 home runs so far this season. His hardest-hit homer of the season came on May 16 at 115.3 mph against the Phillies. On June 4 against the Nationals, he hit a 446-foot home run, his longest of the season.

Alonso has competed in the Derby every year since 2019, with the exception of 2020, when there were no All-Star Game celebrations because of COVID-19. This is his fifth appearance in the Derby. If he prevails this year, Alonso will tie Ken Griffey Jr. for the most Derby victories since the competition's inception in 1985, having won in 2019 and '21.

Alec Bohm (Philadelphia Phillies)

This season, Alec Bohm has hit 11 home runs. His season's hardest and longest home run came on June 30 at 106.8 mph and 427 feet against the Marlins.

Bohm is a highly skilled player even though he has never been a perfect home run hitter (20 home runs in a season is his career high). Nine of his eleven home runs this season have left the bat with an exit velocity of 101.9 mph or higher, and four of his 11 have traveled 415 feet or more. Bohm has been a doubles machine in 2024 thus far, but he will try to step it up for fun now.

Bobby Witt Jr. (Kansas City Royals)

This season, Bobby Witt Jr. has slugged 15 home runs. On July 7, he blasted his hardest home run against the Rockies, clocking in at 112 mph. On May 21, when playing the Tigers, he hit his longest home run at 468 feet.

Witt, a resident of Colleyville, Texas, a short drive from Arlington, will get the opportunity to debut in the Home Run Derby in his community. Witt produced the first 30/30 campaign in the franchise's history during his breakout 2023 season. He's been even better this year, earning his first All-Star berth.

Marcell Ozuna (Atlanta Braves)

Marcell Ozuna has hit 24 home runs so far this season. On April 12 against the Marlins, he slammed his hardest hit and longest home run of the season, reaching a distance of 446 feet and 114.6 mph.

Making his Home Run Derby debut as well, Ozuna has come up huge for an Atlanta team that has seen several of its significant hitters regress from 2023 and lost reigning NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. to a torn ACL. The right-handed hitter has a chance to achieve the 40-home run milestone again this season after doing so for the first time in 2023.

Jose Ramirez (Cleveland Guardians)

This season, Jose Ramirez has hit 23 home runs. On June 24, while facing the Orioles, he blasted his hardest home run at 109.8 miles per hour. Against the Royals on June 28, he hit his longest home run of 436 feet.

After competing in the 2022 Home Run Derby, Ramirez will return to the spotlight with the first looks of a 40-homer season of his career in play. Despite hitting 17 home runs in the first round against Juan Soto, he was unsuccessful.

Adolis Garcia (Texas Rangers)

Adolis Garcia has hit 17 home runs so far this season. Against the Rays on April 1, he hit the hardest and longest home run of the season, measuring 428 feet and hitting 110.1 mph.

Playing for the home team, Garcia will try to become the fourth player in history to win the Home Run Derby at his home field. A year ago, Garcia faced the Rays' Randy Arozarena in the opening round of the Derby and lost. After finishing the season with 39 home runs, he hit eight more, five of which came in the AL Championship Series, as Texas won the World Series.

Teoscar Hernandez (Los Angeles Dodgers)

Teoscar Hernandez has hit 19 home runs as of right now. On May 6, he hit a 108 mph home run against the Marlins, his hardest home run of the year. On April 1, he hit a home run of 431 feet against the Giants, his longest this season.

Though Shohei Ohtani may receive more attention, Hernandez has contributed significantly to the Dodgers' lineup. Hernandez, who will be playing in his first Derby since April, has a chance to make it to thirty home runs twice in his career.

Who do you think will win?

To follow along with the Home Run Derby, visit MLB.com .

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