The All Star Break is nearly upon us which means it’s almost Home Run Derby time. The Derby will take place on Monday, July 10th, at 8 PM EST. This year’s location will be at T-Mobile Park in Seattle. Mets first baseman Pete Alonso will be among the eight candidates. Alonso will be looking to win his 3rd Home Run Derby after taking home the title in 2019 and 2021.
Alonso’s the Favorite In Seattle
Pete Alonso is favored to win another Home Run Derby title. Of the eight contestants, the Mets first baseman is the only one to have ever won the competition. He’s also tied with Luis Robert Jr. for home runs hit in the first half, with 25. He’s done this despite having played six less games than Robert.
Alonso hit 22 of his 25 home runs prior to getting injured on June 7th. He made a speedy recovery but his home run pace has fallen off since his return. He’s hitting .214 on the year which would be his lowest season batting average by far in his five year career.
The good thing is batting average shouldn’t have much of an impact on the derby. Those who succeed in this event are those who can make people’s heads turn during batting practice. Alonso has already shown us twice that he’s capable of taking home the crown.
Julio Rodriguez Will Be Backed By the Crowd
Seattle Mariners second year center fielder Julio Rodriguez will be competing in his second Home Run Derby. He impressed in his first showing last year at Dodger Stadium but was ultimately defeated in the final round by Juan Soto.
This year, J-Rod will be playing in front of his home crowd, which will make him the fan favorite. The Mariners center fielder will also be playing in the All Star Game. He’s hoping that comes after he lifts some hardware on Monday evening.
If Your Bet Wins
Bryce Harper won the Derby in 2018 at Nationals Park when he was still a member of the Nationals. Many star players avoid the Home Run Derby but the chance to do it in front of your home fans is the best incentive to giving it a shot.
Rodriguez will be the 7th seed in this event which means he will square off in the first round against Pete Alonso. Whoever wins will face the winner of the Mookie Betts vs Vladimir Guerrero Jr. matchup.
2023 Home Run Derby Odds, Courtesy of DraftKings
DraftKings has Alonso as the frontrunner to win this award. Vlad Jr. isn’t too far behind them. The Blue Jays first baseman has hit 113 regular season home runs since making his big league debut in 2019. In his only ever HR Derby appearance in 2019, Guerrero Jr. hit 91 home runs but was ousted in the final by Pete Alonso.
Former first overall pick, Adley Rutschman is being given the longest odds by far to win the Derby. He’s got the lowest season home run total among all the contestants, with 11 long balls this year. The catcher does have some pop in his bat and there always seems to be a player that dazzles in his first HR Derby appearance. Last year it was Julio Rodriguez.
1st Round Matchup – Pete Alonso vs Julio Rodriguez, Courtesy of DraftKings
Pete Alonso has been given a tough draw for the first round matchup. He’ll face Mariners center fielder, Julio Rodriguez. The two matched up in the Semi-Finals of the Derby last year with the Mariners outfielder getting the better of Alonso 31-24. So far, Rodriguez is the only person to ever beat Alonso in the Home Run Derby.
DraftKings still likes Alonso to get through to the Semis this time around. This has a lot to do with the Mets slugger having more Home Run Derby pedigree then his opponent. Pete Alonso will be looking for his third Home Run Derby title, which would put him in a tie with Ken Griffey Jr. for the most ever. Alonso is built for this competition, and he isn’t a bad guy to wager on in this year’s showing.
