The Home Run Derby takes center stage on Monday night from Nationals Park in Washington D.C., and there are several ways to watch the annual quest to mash taters.
Online streaming for the event, which starts at 8 p.m. ET, is available through Watch ESPN and MLB.com, and the Home Run Derby will be televised by four different ESPN networks.
Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper is the de facto host of this event, and since this is his second derby the 25-year-old is the dean of this year’s field. The other seven participants are in their first Home Run Derby. Three players in the field — Rhys Hoskins, Max Muncy and Kyle Schwarber — didn’t make the All-Star team, and another three — Jesus Aguilar, Javier Baez and Alex Bregman — are making their first All-Star appearance.
The main television coverage is on ESPN, with Karl Ravech and Mark Teixeira are on the call, along with analyst Jessica Mendoza and reporter Buster Olney roaming the field during the contest.
ESPNews will have an enhanced broadcast with data provided by Statcast, so you can fill your heart’s content with exit velocity, launch angle and all the distance you can handle. Jason Benetti and Eduardo Perez are on the call for that broadcast.
ESPN2 will simulcast the ESPN Deportes call of the Home Run Derby in Spanish, with Ernesto Jerez, Luis Alfredo Álvarez and Guillermo Celis describing the action.
The players were seeded based on their home run totals through Tuesday, July 10, with Brewers first baseman Aguilar earning the top seed. The bracket consists of three single-elimination rounds of four minutes each.
[The above was shamelessly taken from the mothership, so thanks to Eric for that. Let’s face it, there’s no purpose in re-inventing the wheel... :)]
No Diamondbacks taking part. Again. This will be the eighth consecutive Home Run derby without an Arizona participant, the last having been Chris Young, who took part in the 2010 version at Angel Stadium... and hit a whopping one home-run. As is still the cause of a grudge, the team didn’t even have one when the All-Star festivities took place at Chase Field the following season, Prince Fielder infamously picking his pal Rickie Weeks instead. Fun fact: from 2011-18, Arizona ranks sixth in the National League for home-runs hit, and is 0-for-32 in Home Run Derby participants.
From Bovada.lv, here are the odds for the players who are taking part tonight in Washington. Who’ve you got?
- Bryce Harper - 11/4
- Jesus Aguilar - 7/2
- Max Muncy - 5/1
- Freddie Freeman - 11/2
- Rhys Hoskins - 11/2
- Javier Baez - 6/1
- Alex Bregman - 9/1
- Kyle Schwarber - 9/1