Major League Players Club MLB Home Run Derby (7/15/24)

MLB

8PM Eastern.

3 Picks. To Make Semi-Finals: Teoscar Hernandez +145 (3 Units) ✅️, Jose Ramirez +200 (3 Units) ✅️. Teoscar Hernandez is the 3rd heaviest contestant with the 3rd highest barrel % in the Derby despite hitting .261 with the 16th highest strikeout rate in baseball. His struggles to make contact with the ball is the reason he's not among the league leaders in Homeruns and that's not an issue today. Weight and Barrel % have strongly correlated to success in the timed HR Derby Format. He also has experience on the Mound. LA 3rd Base Coach Dino Ebel will be making his 4th HR Derby pitching appearance.

Jose Ramirez gets another crack at the HR Derby after participating in 2022. Ramirez, Alonso, and Garica are the only repeat participants. He was dealing with a thumb injury in 2022 and exited after round 1 with 17 Homeruns. He'll wait and see how he feels to determine which side of the plate he bats from. He has more Homeruns batting Lefty but has a 1.081 OPS as a RHB compared to a .740 OPS as a LHB this season. His Bat Speed from the right is also significantly higher. Either way he'll be going in with the side he feels best and will be using the same Pitcher as 2022. Experience is on their side. The HR Derby is a volatile event, especially the first round. Not everyone finds their groove right away and managing the clock and stamina plays a big part. Plenty of hitters are done in by the guys pitching to them as well. Nerves from the spotlight can unravel even the most seasoned BP pitchers.

Winner: Bobby Witt Jr +430 (3 Units).

Bobby has the highest barrel % and 3rd fastest bat speed in the Derby. His average HR distance of 418 feet is tied for 4th highest in baseball and is 9 feet longer than the next closest contestant. His longest HR of 468 feet is 4th longest and 22 feet further than the next closest contestant. He squares it up and hits is as far as the top sluggers in baseball. With the new Bonus time format, he could find himself piling on. Instead of 30-60 seconds of Bonus time batters are now granted 3 untimed outs. If it's not a HR, it's an out. Batters are also granted a 4th out if the batter hits a HR further than 425 feet which is something Witt is likely to do. The 40 and 27 pitch limit and untimed bonus rounds also help the lighter contestants. Bigger guys are simply able to put balls over the wall with less fatiguing swings. There will be less swings across the board, allowing guys to feel fresh for multiple rounds.