As the Home Run Derby arrives at the home of the reigning World Series champions, youth will be served.
While Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge are among stars who won’t be participating, two of baseball’s most dynamic young players — Gunnar Henderson and Bobby Witt Jr. — are among the derby headliners as they make their first All-Star appearances.
A few contestants have been here before. Pete Alonso is a two-time winner looking to climb back to the top in his fifth consecutive derby, while Jose Ramirez and Adolis Garcia have participated before but didn’t find much success.
Last year’s champion, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., is not defending his crown. If Alonso doesn’t win for a third time, the derby is guaranteed to have another first-time winner.
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Home Run Derby bracket 2024
There is no bracket entering the Home Run Derby this year, as the top four home run hitters will advance past the first round with no head-to-head matchups.
A bracket will be formed after the first round based on those results. The No. 1 and No. 4 home run hitters in the first round will face off in the semifinals, while the No. 2 and No. 3 home run hitters will also do battle. Each winner will face off in the finals.
Here are the eight participants for the Home Run Derby, by 2024 home run total:
- Gunnar Henderson, Orioles (27)
- Marcell Ozuna, Braves (24)
- Jose Ramirez, Guardians (23)
- Teoscar Hernandez, Dodgers (19)
- Pete Alonso, Mets (18)
- Adolis Garcia, Rangers (17)
- Bobby Witt Jr., Royals (15)
- Alec Bohm, Phillies (11)
Home Run Derby predictions
Dan Treacy: Pete Alonso is naturally worth a look because of his experience and his return to Dave Jauss as his pitcher, but anyone other than Alec Bohm and Jose Ramirez profiles as a real contender on Monday night. The most exciting names are Gunnar Henderson and Bobby Witt Jr., who both hit the ball about as hard as anyone in the field. Despite Witt’s 15 home runs, it would be wise not to sleep on the Royals star. He could turn some of his Kauffman Stadium doubles into home runs, and his hard hit rate and barrel percentage are similar Julio Rodriguez’s 2022 and 2023 marks. Rodriguez didn’t jump off the page as a big-time power hitter, but his tools allowed him to perform well at the derby each time. With fatigue likely less to be a factor under the new format, Witt should have a chance to do what Rodriguez couldn’t and sustain it all the way through to the end. Winner: Witt
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Home Run Derby odds
All odds courtesy of BetMGM.
Alonso is the favorite as he tries to tie Ken Griffey Jr.’s record with a third Home Run Derby win, with Ozuna and Garcia not far behind.
Henderson has the fourth-shortest odds despite leading all participants in home runs, while Ramirez has distant odds after his derby struggles two years ago and Bohm, with only 11 home runs on the season, has the most distant odds.
Here’s a complete look at the 2024 Home Run Derby odds:
| Player | Odds |
| Pete Alonso | +310 |
| Marcell Ozuna | +375 |
| Adolis Garcia | +400 |
| Gunnar Henderson | +575 |
| Bobby Witt Jr. | +625 |
| Teoscar Hernandez | +1000 |
| Jose Ramirez | +1400 |
| Alec Bohm | +2000 |
