I Have Put Together The Dream Home Run Derby Lineup And MLB Needs To Make It Happen
We're creeping up on the Home Run Derby and rumors are starting to swirl about who will be included in the mid-summer dong show. This is by far the best All-Star weekend event out of all the sports, it's just simple. Who can hit balls far and over a fence, it's simple. There also are soooo many intriguing candidates to fill out this bracket, we have the possibility of a very fun derby with an old school feel in LA if MLB gives us the right contestants. It is also very AL heavy, but hey that is where the star power is. Here is who I want to see in Los Angeles hitting tanks out of the park. Here they are...
Aaron Judge
No-brainer here. He's the best player in baseball and leads the world with 30 home runs. He'll already be in LA as an All-Star, he has to perform. He put on a show as a rookie when he won it all, MLB has to be begging him to do it The little back tweak that popped this week isn't great, but he's got over a week to let it heal. Judge will hit multiple balls completely out of Dodger Stadium if he participates, that is just a fact. He'll be the odds on favorite to win as well, the derby will not feel complete if Judge isn't doing it this season.
Yordan Alvarez
I really don't understand why Yordan Alvarez doesn't get more love, he's unbelievable. He is the guy you create in MLB The Show, just a massive lefty with tons of power. I stand by my case that if he played more games in Baltimore he'd hit the warehouse. All he does is hit TOWERINGGGGGGGG bombs. He's incredible. Third in baseball with 26 bombs and he's just heating up. Alvarez mentioned in the last few days that he was asked to participate but hasn't decided if he was going to do it or not. Come on Yordan, we need it.
Pete Alonso
What is a derby without Pete Alonso? He won it in 2021, he won it in 2019, why can't he do it in 2022? Well he's leaving it up to the fans and their votes. He said he'd only do the derby if he was voted in as a starter, so that puts big pressure on the Mets fans to step up. He's no doubt one of the best derby hitters ever, and with another win he'd tie Griffey Jr. with 3. Why would you not want to do that? LA may be too warm for a Polar Bear but I still think we need to see him out there.
Julio Rodriguez
Mariners seem to do well in the derby, that is why we need J-Rod in LA. He'll probably be there as a player so why not have him blasting balls with the other top home run guys? He's a young star who MLB should be showcasing all over, he's a no-brainer for the event. After a slow start the rookie now has 15 homers. You see the number and how far he hits them and I think that qualifies him to be in the derby, who says no to J-Rod?
Kyle Schwarber
Every home run derby deserves to have a guy who looks like a mens league softball hitter in it, Schwarbs is that guy. He's also got 27 homers which is second in all of baseball, think he is a good fit. He almost won it over Harper in DC back in the 2018 derby so he's got the experience. He's been one of the hottest hitters in the game for like 5 weeks now, he's addicted to hitting tanks in June, why not allow him to continue that into July in LA? He'd put on a show for sure.
Byron Buxton
You don't really think "home run hitter" when you think about Byron Buxton, but you should. He's got some unreal power for a guy who looks like he does. He isn't your massive, bulky smasher, he's cut, skinny and slender. That doesn't hurt him though, all he does is hit homers. I'd be worried that he wouldn't do the derby because his body is made out of tape and paperclips, but man would it be fun to watch him hit. Sneaky, sneaky power for Buxton. His 22 bombs is good for fifth in baseball.
Anthony Rizzo
We have all the young calves, now we need the old bull. This is kind of like what MLB is doing with the "let legends into the ASG" movement, why not throw Rizzo in there. He's had a nice resurgence this year in New York with that short porch and is tied with Buxton and Alonso with 22 homers. Why not have him in there?
Mookie Betts
Mookie finding his game again and that is bad news for the rest of the bigs. But him finding his swing is good for the fans. They always want a hometown guy in the Derby to represent for the fans and with Freddie Freeman already saying no because he still thinks he is on the Braves, Betts is the next choice. 20 homers and like I said, he's just catching fire so that number could be 25-26 b the derby. I'd love to see Mookie in the derby, now that he's in the NL he can't hurt Baltimore fans anymore so he can hit as many homers as he wants, won't bother me. Would be cool to see him represent the Dodgers in the derby.
I'm gonna throw in 2 other ones just for shits and gigs as well. Maybe an expanded field.
O'Neil Cruz
Give us the alien in the derby, give us O'Neil Cruz. A lot of the country hasn't seen him because he plays for the Pirates, that isn't a shot at the wonderful city of Pittsburgh, it's just the truth. He is a freak. He is an alien. He is a super exciting player to watch play. He hits the ball a billion MPH and will absolutely hit tanks if he's in the derby. I think it would be awesome to see a super young, not very seasoned guy in an environment like this, especially someone with the tools like Cruz. He's only played in 17 games so far and has 3 homers but I'd love to see him out in LA hitting dingers.
Ryan Mountcastle
This is a selfish one for me because I know how damn good he is and how strong he is. Ryan Mountcastle would put on a show in LA. Nothing he hits is a cheapie, they're all scorching coming off his bat and all go like 420. He could easily park one outside of the park as well, he'd hit towering shots. His name should be known outside of Baltimore, but just incase it isn't, this is a good place for him to let people know what they're missing out on. He's a 40-homer guy by 2023, just watch.
There are countless guys who could make this contest fun, Ohtani again, Trout obviously, Vlad Jr (already said no), Manny Machado, Chisholm, Devers. You could replace any of my picks with these guys and I couldn't complain at all, I just want a fun field and I think the one I picked is a hoot. Hope we get something close to these picks and we get another classic event. Let me know if there is anyone I missed that you would want to see hit the long ball in LA.