So, the participants for the 2023 Home run Derby have been named. We get:
- White Sox OF Luis Robert Jr.
- Mets 1B Pete Alonso
- Dodgers OF/INF Mookie Betts
- Rangers OF Adolis García
- Rays OF Randy Arozarena
- Blue Jays 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
- Mariners OF Julio Rodríguez
- Orioles C Adley Rutschman
So, who SHOULD we have in the derby? Lets look at this a few different ways. Here’s your current top 10 MLB home run leaders:
- Shohei Ohtani (with 31 before the break, better than Judge’s 60+ pace last year)
- Matt Olsen
- Luis Robert Jr
- Pete Alonso
- Mookie Betts
- Ozzie Albies
- Jorge Soler
- Kyle Schwarber
- Adolis Garcia
- Ronald Acuna
So, based on the current leaders, our HR derby field has just 4 of the current top 10 HR leaders.
Here’s 2022’s HR leaders, since often the ASG is a small sample size of who’s been hot for a couple months:
- Judge
- Schwarber
- Mike Trout
- Alonso
- Austin Riley
- Yordan Alvarez
- Christian Walker
- Betts
- Rowdy Tellez
- Paul Goldschmidt
Just two of last year’s top 10 HR hitters are in the derby.
Now, since its an All Star game, meant to feature (you know) All Stars, here’s the current active list of HR leaders in the sport:
- Miguel Cabrera
- Nelson Cruz
- Giancarlo Stanton
- Mike Trout
- Joey Votto
- Evan Longoria
- Paul Goldschmidt
- Nolan Arenado
- Freddie Freeman
- JD Martinez
Not one of these top 10 active HR hitters is in the derby.
Here’s a list of active HR Derby winners:
- 2022: Juan Soto
- 2021: Alonso
- 2019: Alonso
- 2018: Bryce Harper
- 2017: Aaron Judge
- 2016: Stanton
- 2015 and before: all now retired
Soto opted out, Judge is hurt, and neither Stanton or Harper is earning an all-star nod.
So, if you wanted to put together the absolute best possible HR derby roster, factoring all these lists in, here’s who you’d want. I’m including players we know are injured right now, but astericking them and then adding on players at the bottom until we get to 10.
- Pete Alonso: 2-time winner, top10 in HRs both this year and last year. Has to be here.
- Juan Soto: 2022 champ, really should be defending his title.
- Shohei Ohtani: 2023 active leader, defending MVP, well on his way to being 2023 AL MVP, leads majors in ISO. Its ridiculous he’s not in the derby this year.
- * Aaron Judge: 60+ homers last year, 2017 champ.
- Giancarlo Stanton. Top-10 active HR leader, 2016 champ.
- Kyle Schwarber: top10 in HRs both this year and last year, some of best pure power in game.
- Mookie Betts: top10 in HRs both this year and last year, perennial MVP candidate.
- * Mike Trout: future Hall of Famer who sits 4th in active HRs despite being only 31.
- Ronald Acuna: The guy is on pace for a 40 hr, 80 steal season and is the likely NL MVP.
- * Bryce Harper: the only remaining former HR derby champ not yet mentioned, on pace for 500 career homers.
- Paul Goldschmidt: top 10 both in 2022 and active.
- Luis Robert: #3 this season in both active HRs and ISO. Averaging 32 homers/162 games as a CF.
- Matt Olsen: #2 this season in active HRs, #2 in the league in ISO. Huge power guy.
Now, if you want some wild-cards, i’d also accept these players just because:
- Julio Rodriguez: runner-up in 2022’s derby, last year’s ROY, one of the best young players in the game.
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr: runner-up in 2019, huge power, big personality.
- Randy Arozarena: exploded onto the scene, a showman.
- Fernando Tatis Jr: another high-profile young player we need to be showcasing.
- Austin Riley: power-first guy who finished top 10 last year.
- Corbin Carroll: 18 homers and 24 SBs at all star break, could press for 40/40.
- Elly De La Cruz: Talk about a debut.