🏆 Contest Overview & Participants
Eight sluggers will face off in a timed, pitch-limited, bracket-style showdown:
-
Cal Raleigh (Seattle Mariners) – Current MLB HR leader with 38 homers; a switch-hitting catcher seeking Derby history.
-
James Wood (Washington Nationals) – 22-year-old power hitter with elite exit velocity and opposite-field pop.
-
Byron Buxton (Minnesota Twins) – Coming off a 479-foot blast; hometown favorite near Atlanta.
-
Oneil Cruz (Pittsburgh Pirates) – Known for 122.9 mph exit velocity, the hardest-hit home run in Statcast history.
-
Junior Caminero (Tampa Bay Rays) – Youngest in the field at 22 with growing pop.
-
Brent Rooker (Oakland A’s) – Consistent power, first A’s entry since Matt Olson in 2021.
-
Jazz Chisholm Jr. (New York Yankees) – First Yankee in the Derby since Aaron Judge (2017); 442-ft career long.
-
Matt Olson (Atlanta Braves) – Replaced Ronald Acuña Jr., hometown hero and former HR leader.
🕒 Format & Rules
Outlined by MLB and ESPN:
-
Round 1: 40 pitches or 3 minutes (whichever comes first), plus bonus time for long home runs. Top four advance.
-
Semifinals: Head‑to‑head bracket (1 vs 4, 2 vs 3) under the same format. Ties decided by 60‑second swing‑offs.
-
Finals: 27 pitches or 2 minutes, including bonus. State-of-play determines the champion.
🧩 Strategic Highlights
-
Favorites:
-
Cal Raleigh (+300 favorite based on strong power and tempo).
-
Oneil Cruz is close behind (+310) thanks to his massive exit velocities.
-
James Wood (+370) represents a high-upside young talent.
-
-
Longshots:
-
Matt Olson (+900) draws local support with Braves backing.
-
📺 How to Watch
-
TV: ESPN / ESPN2
-
Streaming: ESPN.com, MLB.tv, Fubo
-
Local gameday apps may also carry coverage
0 Comments