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Here are the full rosters for the 2014 Home Run Derby, predictions and a focus on the player most likely to steal the show.
With 17 home runs this season already, the Blue Jays star will be looking to reach the 30-home run plateau once again. One of the biggest stars to grace the 2014 Home Run Derby is Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Jose Bautista, and he will have a legitimate shot to steal the show by winning the entire event. Here is a full list of participants and a focus on the player most likely to win. According to MLB.com, Stanton leads the league in distance on his home runs, averaging an astounding 423.8 feet per bomb. That kind of freakish power could make the annual event even more special. The key for Stanton is just taking it easy and not forcing the issue.
Yoenis Cespedes back for HR Derby
The MLB All-Star Game is one of the best traditions in all of sports, but the Home Run Derby the night before is an event that draws just as much attention as the battle between the National and American leagues. In the new bracket format, Pujols will take on Bryant in the opening round while Fielder will face off against Frazier, Donaldson will oppose Rizzo and Pederson will match up against Machado. Pederson has 20 homers on the season while Bryant has gone yard 12 times.
With a .302 batting average, 21 home runs, 62 RBI and a .401 on-base percentage, there are many fans and experts who believe he should start the All-Star Game. Ryan Fagan, the national MLB writer for The Sporting News, has been a Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2016. The incredibly powerful Stanton, of course, is a no-brainer for this contest and probably the immediate favorite to win the event, regardless who else is chosen. He has 21 homers this year for the Miami Marlins and is one of the top contenders for the NL MVP award. Troy Tulowitzki is the captain of the National League team, and Jose Bautista leads the American League team.
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That's too bad because Cruz and his sweet power stroke probably would have been one of the favorites to win it. Finally, the winners of the third round—one from the AL and one from the NL—will face off in the finals to determine a champion. With the crowd in Minnesota electric for the event, the National League captain should be the favorite. Tulo has racked up an impressive .344 batting average, 21 home runs, 52 RBI and .435 on-base percentage, and has been one of the only reasons the Rockies have found any success in 2014. Each man in the Home Run Derby is worthy of being on the main stage, but few have the unique mixture of raw power and consistency that Colorado Rockies shortstops Troy Tulowitzki possesses in the batter’s box.
The winner of each league will battle in the final round to determine the Home Run Derby champion. The fifth and final member of each league's team will be announced on Thursday. He's hit a few recent homers too, so Frazier certainly should not be overlooked, despite the fact that he might just be the smallest name in attendance Monday night. Already a winner in the minds of many after finally securing his first All-Star berth, Yoenis Cespedes enters with perhaps more pressure than any contestant Monday night because he happens to be the defending champ.
Crasnick: Captains name HR Derby picks8yJerry Crasnick
Given the National League's recent struggles, Tulowitzki better think long and hard about his selections. So it's clear that Cespedes performs under the spotlight of the Derby. Recent trends and momentum clearly go out the window at the event, at least for him.
Instead of 10 outs in the first round, each contestant gets only seven outs. Then the derby slides into a bracket format, with the top first-round performer in each league getting a bye. After the league finals, the AL and NL champs will square off and the winner will be crowned Home Run Derby champ. Bautista, 33, has been one of the American League's fiercest sluggers for the past half-decade. The Blue Jays outfielder has a career-high .305 batting average to go along with 15 home runs and 49 RBI.
Let's take a look at the complete roster and full predictions for the event. Fellow Tiger Miguel Cabrera and Los Angeles Angels phenom Mike Trout have already said they will not participate in the contest, which will be held Monday night on ESPN from Minnesota's Target Field. That means that only one member of the remaining top five home run hitters in the league will be added to Bautista's side.
For the sake of baseball fans across the world, let’s hope Stanton finds a rhythm and starts hitting shots deep into the event and steals the overall victory. There are still a number of big announcements to come, such as the winners of the final vote, the starting pitchers for the all-star game, and some inevitable injury replacements. Stay tuned to Last Word On Sports as we will have complete coverage before, during, and after the 2014 MLB All-Star Game and throughout the rest of what is quickly becoming an exciting 2014 Major League Baseball season. The 2014 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby was a home run hitting contest in Major League Baseball between five batters each from the American League and National League. The derby was held on July 14, 2014, at the site of the 2014 MLB All-Star Game, Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
At just 6’0” and 205 pounds, his size can only produce so much power. That’s where the quickness of his swing and the fact that he keeps it close to his body make him so dangerous in live-game action. The excitement surrounding the 20th annual MLB Home Run Derby has baseball fans of every team anticipating which of the contestants will steal the show this year. Round 1 features five players from both leagues, and instead of the traditional 10 outs per batter, each man will now receive seven outs. After the first round is complete, the players will be seeded in a bracket-style tournament. Captains Jose Bautista and Troy Tulowitzki were in charge of assembling the squads, and personally invited the players to partake.
Yoenis Céspedes was the winner, repeating his winning performance in 2013 to join Ken Griffey Jr. and Pete Alonso as the only players to win consecutive Home Run Derbies. Rizzo made his first All-Star game last year and enters this year's event with 16 home runs. While the final result is largely lost to the ether the moment the Derby ends, the AL will be playing to continue its recent dominance in the contest. An AL player has won the contest each of the last four seasons and six of the last seven. Since the captain format was instituted, the AL has boasted five of the last six finalists. If all goes as expected, Blue Jays players will comprise half of the AL roster.
He already has one of the best swings in the game, but it’s so dangerous because it looks so effortless. In the event of another tie, it will be a sudden-death swing off. Baseball is full of traditionalists who hate change, but the upgrades to this event should make it even more exciting. Both the American and National league Home Run Derby rosters will add one final player Thursday. The 2014 Home Run Derby goes Monday, July 14th from Target Field home of the Minnesota Twins and is one of the highlights of the annual Major League Baseball All-Star Festivities.
Third baseman Edwin Encarnacion leads MLB with 24 home runs and 63 RBI. It'd be a mild shock if Bautista didn't give the nod to his teammate, though the AL is stacked with potential candidates. Troy Tulowitzki and Jose Bautista have garnered the most All-Star votes in their respective leagues due in large part to their ability to drive the ball over the fence. On Monday, their penchant for going deep earned them their first honor of the 2014 MLB season, as they were named the captains for the 2014 Home Run Derby in Minneapolis. One of the biggest reasons he is such a good home run hitter is the speed of his swing.
Home Run Derby 2014: List of participants
This will be the fourth year under the new format, which sees two captains pick three additional players from their respective league to compete for the crown. Seattle Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano is the only multi-time captain in the four years of the format. The finals will consist of seven outs, with the man with the most home runs in that round winning the event. If it is a tie, there will be a three-swing rule with the winner being the player who hits more home runs in that time.
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