The 2023 All-Star festivities have already kicked off, with this past weekend featuring the Futures Game and the start of the MLB Draft. The draft continued today and tonight will feature the Home Run Derby, followed by more drafting and the All-Star game tomorrow. The derby is mostly about entertainment, though there’s also a $1MM prize on the line. That’s chump change to a lot of these players, but not all. The runner-up gets $500K and each other participant gets $150K. The player who hits the longest home run will get an extra $100K. It kicks off at 7pm Central time tonight.
The competition will proceed with head-to-head matchups in a bracket with these eight players, proceeding in order of their seeding: Luis Robert Jr., Pete Alonso, Mookie Betts, Adolis García, Randy Arozarena, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Julio Rodríguez and Adley Rutschman. Defending champion Juan Soto isn’t participating this year, leaving the throne open for the taking. Let’s take a look at the matchups and some of their stats.
- Luis Robert Jr. OF, White Sox: Robert is having his best season in many ways, including in the power department. He came into the year with 36 home runs in 222 games but already has 26 this season in just 89 contests. He’s hitting .271/.330/.569 overall for a wRC+ of 143. He has an average exit velocity of 89 mph, max of 113.6 mph and a 15.9% barrel rate. This is his first time participating in the home run derby.
- Adley Rutschman, C, Orioles: Rutschman debuted last year and hit 13 home runs in 113 games but is already up to 12 this year after just 86 contests. He’s hitting .273/.376/.423 on the season for a wRC+ of 125. He has an average exit velocity of 87.9 mph, max of 111.1 mph and a 6.7% barrel rate. This is his first time participating in the home run derby.
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- Adolis García, OF, Rangers: García broke out in 2021 with a 31-homer campaign, added another 27 last year and already has 23 here in 2023. Financially, he’s probably the player with the most to gain from the prize money. He’s yet to reach arbitration and that $1MM total is more than his annual salary. He got a $2.5MM bonus when signing with the Cardinals, but that was way back in 2017. Rutschman is the only other player in the field that is both pre-arb and hasn’t signed an extension, but he got a signing bonus of $8.1MM when signing in 2019. Garcia is hitting .261/.331/.517 this year for a wRC+ of 131. He’s hitting .273/.376/.423 on the whole for a wRC+ of 125. He has an average exit velocity of 92.2 mph, max of 115.1 mph and a 16.4% barrel rate. This is his first time participating in the derby.
- Randy Arozarena, OF, Rays: Arozarena vaulted himself onto the national stage with 10 home runs in the 2020 postseason. He followed that up by hitting 20 in each of the past two seasons and has another 16 here in 2023. He’s hitting .279/.388/.467 on the year for a wRC+ of 147. He has an average exit velocity of 92.9 mph, max of 114.3 mph and a 14.6% barrel rate. This is his first time participating in the derby.
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- Pete Alonso, 1B, Mets: Alonso is the most successful derby participant of the group, winning the competition back-to-back in 2019 and 2021. There was no derby in 2020 due to the pandemic. He attempted to win a third consecutive title last year but was defeated by J-Rod in the semis. He has 172 career home runs and is at 26 this year. He’s slashing .211/.310/.497 for a wRC+ of 123. He has an average exit velocity of 89.2 mph, max of 113.7 mph and a 14.8% barrel rate.
- Julio Rodríguez, OF, Mariners: Rodríguez will be the hometown favorite with the festivities taking place in Seattle this year. As mentioned, he took out Alonso a year ago but fell to Juan Soto in the finals. He hit 28 home runs as a rookie last year and has added 13 more this year. He’s hitting .249/.310/.411 for a wRC+ of 105. He has an average exit velocity of 92.8 mph, max of 115.5 mph and a 9.8% barrel rate.
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- Mookie Betts, IF/OF, Dodgers: Betts is 30 years old and this is his seventh time in the All-Star game but this will be his first derby. He has 239 career home runs, including 26 this year. He’s batting .276/.379/.586 overall for a wRC+ of 157. He has an average exit velocity of 92.5 mph, max of 110.1 mph and a 12.8% barrel rate.
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1B, Blue Jays: Guerrero put on a show in the 2019 contest, hitting 91 home runs overall but falling just short of Alonso in the final round. He has 117 homers in his career and 13 here in 2023. He’s slashing .274/.344/.443 for a wRC+ of 120. He has an average exit velocity of 94.3 mph, max of 116.7 mph and a 13.6% barrel rate.
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The winner of Robert/Rutschman will square off against the winner of García/Arozarena in the semis, while the winner of Alonso/Rodríguez will face the winner of Betts/Guerrero. Before we get to who you think will win, let’s start with who you want to win. (Link to poll for app users)
And who do you think will win the 2021 Home Run Derby? (Link to poll for app users)
Probably Alonso. He’ll be playing like it’s the WS. Only shot he’s got at a trophy this season.
Funny coming from a fan of a team that’s never even won a WS. At least we can say we’ve actually seen it.
Never said my team was elite. At least we know we are mid. Mets fans still think they got a shot! Losers.
Not mid. Just a team who’s never ever ever won. Must be depressing.
Ohhhh kablaaammmm got him
It’s a teeny bit fun, but not a bunch. And not meaningful. It’s like when they put skateboarding in the Olympics. As a skater, it was very bloodless, corporate, and boring.
Who cares.
Indeed
Exactly. Pinball garbage from Manfred and the owners.
But a Pinball Wizard must be crowned.
Or at least mess up their swing for the rest of the season.
derby doesn’t mess up people’s swings
mostly the folks who are placing wagers online
What a bunch of grumps.
Home run derby is not baseball, it’s a carnival sideshow created by greed. Nothing more, nothing less.
The second they sold the first ticket to a game baseball became greed. Get over it.
No, baseball was a thinking man’s entertainment, whether it was a business or not. Home run derby is NOT about strategies, athleticism or real competition. It’s about a batting practice pitcher throwing to a guy knowing what he’s going to see and seeing if he can hit it far. It’s a set up and not a very interesting one. But, hey, if that puts sparkle in your day, have some Red Bull and watch.
Like I said the minute a single profit was made it became about greed and it still is. The Home Run Derby is fun for a lot of people including kids and without drawing more of them in as fans the sport will die.
For someone so against it you’re spending an awful lot of time on a post about it.
I’ll stop now.
They get NFL players to come whack some balls at promo events. Same thing. Practice. Not the game, practice.
Yes, that’s why there is the 162-game regular season and the playoffs. The homerun derby amounts to a few hours of time in a long season. Oh, the horror.
But back then you got free beer…..
Randy Arozarena with the ultimate upset!
I am feeling those Randy vibes
Untimate upset would be having Soto coming in at the last round and winning it.
That happens when your hitter is trying to draw a walk and your pitcher is pitching like it’s an 0-2 count. Beasley is an awful pitcher, coach, and human being. He should be banned from setting foot in Texas after this. I think he also killed Gallo’s even for him.
Best odds = Polar Bear
Best story (if he wins…) = Adolis
My heart wants = Rutschman or Randy to run away with it.
> My heart wants = Rutschman or
> Randy to run away with it.
It’s not a football! Hey, get back here with that heart!
A live polar bear would make things a lot more interesting…
Honestly I stopped caring about the HRD a few years ago. I don’t like the new format at all. I know I am in the minority as I have read many people that like it, but I just don’t.
On almost any subject, some people will like it and some people won’t.
I’m with you on the format. I still enjoy it though. The all star game has brought me a lot of great memories, probably from just being a kid in the summertime. Josh Hamilton in 2008 is a top 3 sporting event I wish I could’ve attended. No chance a performance like that will happen with the new format
A dude in his 70s was pitching to Hamilton.
I wish the homerun derby was like it was back in the black and white days when it was a half hour tv show. Love watching that on ESPN classic as a kid. Have a big tournament where they get 3 outs and a 9 inning game. Any non homerun is an out. Have a sliding scale for money which the player donates to a charity of their choice.
I was just thinking of that show earlier. I remember watching the reruns in the afternoons on ESPN after school. I am too young to have watched Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, and Harmon Killebrew play live, but that show gave me a chance to see them play in their primes. It would be cool to give the next generation the same gift to see Trout, Harper, Acuna, and others in their primes.
I’d totally watch those reruns if they brought them back
J-Rod to da moon!
I like that he’s currently the 4th favorite to win the crown.
He’ll run away with it: he’s been practicing his HR swing 5 times a night, every game, from his first A-B of this season!
The got Garcia
I miss the days of McGwire vs Sosa, even if they weren’t on the level.
Whammy
They were completely on the level because most of the pitchers throwing the ball were on PEDs too. So it was perfectly level.
Robert jr will put on a show
Don’t be surprised to see Randy win this thing
I like Adolis Garcia too. One of them will make a statement. Hoping it’s Adley though
My heart is rooting for Mookie, my brain is saying Alonso.
Same.
My heart is for MLB to stop this freakin’ sideshow.
Calm down, Karen.
I agree. It was hard to watch. I liked it much better when the player had to wait for the ball to land before they saw the next pitch. This fast and furious business is not appealing. I turned it off after awhile.
Adolis Garcia. Has the most power out of all of them.. Will crush the easy throws.
Adley somewhat of the hometown kid. He’s going to have so many family and friends there. He’s from portland. Grew up a mariners fan. His grandpa made the trip for his trip to seattle last year. He’s also on the easier side of the bracket.
I am surprised to see all the love for Vlad Jr. I’ll just leave it at that.
Whoops
It will be the guy that hits the most home runs in the last round.
The HR Derby is a hokey novelty, honestly. I think I thought interest when I was about 10 years old.
I think I thought…I thunk.
Not as catchy as vini, vidi, vici. But I can see what you were going for there.
Oops :/
*lost
Cool story.
Looking at those exit velocities make me realize how amazing Ohtani is in that category. Dude has multiple hits with exit velocities above every one else’s best one. Only Vlad Jr comes close
I’ve lived through their peaks , Orr to Gretzky , Jabbar to Jordan , Namath to Brady , Bench to Bonds , never seen anything as special as Sho
Fire Beasley! He should just give Adolis a million from his pay since he blew it for him.
Luis Roberts pitcher wasn’t much better. Although he was running out of steam towards the end, he gave it a good run
Julio!!!
Juuulllio!
Julio put on a show. So did Rutschman by switching sides, that was fun!
Batting Practice Champion
Talkin’ about practice. Practice. Not the game, practice.
Let’s have an all star contest where they chug beers or play a Tetris tournament.
Please, just get rid of all star week and take a vacation.
That kid getting smoked was the highlight of the derby
if you are an older baseball fan and want to see a REAL HR derby,just go to youtube and watch the Home Run Derby tv show from 1960. Mantle vs. Mays, Banks vs. Hodges, Aaron vs. Mathews,competition like that. it was only on for 1 year because Mark Scott ,the announcer, died after the season. it was in re-runs a few times in the ’60’s and popped up again a few years ago. it’s still fun to see those legendary names in competition for $2k,a lot of money for them back then.