Last year’s Home Run Derby format changes breathed new life into a tradition that had been gradually growing stale.
In hopes of speeding up the exhibition event, MLB introduced a single-elimination, eight-person bracket with timed rounds instead of outs. Since every blast isn’t equal, batters also earned bonus time based on distance traveled.
The players are seeded by their current home run tallies, with a coin flip serving as the tiebreaker. If a tie occurs during any round, a 90-second swing-off will break the stalemate.
Perhaps Petco Park’s history as a pitcher’s haven has scared away some dream participants, but the show must go on. Do you want the truth about an event that is in danger of running its course, or do you want to see some players sock a few dingers?
Here’s a look at the official participants and the bracket announced by MLB Thursday night:
2016 MLB Home Run Derby
When: Monday at 8 p.m. ET
Where: Petco Park, San Diego
TV: ESPN
There’s one problem plaguing this year’s Home Run Derby: None of the top stars wanted to do it.
Mike Trout and Bryce Harper—two of the game’s brightest superstars whose collision would script a cash-cow narrative—provided the exact same response.
“I just don’t want to, plain and simple,” Harper told ESPN.com’s Eddie Matz Tuesday. “I just don’t really wanna do it. I just want to enjoy my time, sit on the side and watch it a little bit.”
“I just don’t want to do it,” Trout said, per Pedro Moura of the Los Angeles Times. “It’s a long two days. Eventually, I’m gonna try to do it, just not this year.”
They’re not the only marquee holdouts. Kris Bryant—who has joined them on the top pantheon of young phenoms with a National League-high 25 home runs—also passed, per CBS Chicago’s Bruce Levine:
I don’t want to do it. It is too tiring. I will enjoy watching it if I am there. Last year, it really took me a couple of days to recover from it. Swinging a bat does not look like it is tiring, but when you do it for five straight minutes, trying to hit it as hard as you can, it gets real tiring. Home Run Derbys are fun, but I will have to pass.
David Ortiz leads the majors with a hulking .677 slugging percentage during his final season. He has to do it, right? Nope. The 40-year-old is worried about wearing himself thin, so he’s out too.
Let’s hold off on inviting Madison Bumgarner and Ichiro Suzuki out of desperation. There’s plenty of potent pop in a field led by defending champion Todd Frazier.
Despite his .211 average, the Chicago White Sox third baseman has already crushed 23 long balls, nearly matching his 25 at last year’s All-Star break. He’ll face steep competition in Mark Trumbo, who leads MLB with 26 homers and an average home run distance of 413 feet, per Baseball Savant.
For the second straight year, a rookie will represent the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Home Run Derby. Fans will hope All-Star shortstop Corey Seager doesn’t keep following the path of Joc Pederson, who hit .178/.317/.300 after the Midsummer Classic.
Seager, however, is a much more well-rounded hitter who has raked since joining the club last summer. If Dodgers fans are still worried, Yahoo Sports’ Will Laws debunked the fabled Home Run Derby curse:
Of those 16 most recent Derby victors, nine saw their home run rates increase after winning the contest — Yoenis Cespedes (2013), Prince Fielder (2012, 2009), Robinson Cano (2011), Vladimir Guerrero (2007), Ryan Howard (2006), Miguel Tejada (2004), Jason Giambi (2002) and Sammy Sosa (2000).
Keep in mind, these hitters were tapped to compete because they already stockpiled gaudy home run totals in the first half. And they were even more proficient after showcasing their power for the fans.
The newcomer’s biggest problem is facing Trumbo as the No. 8 seed. If Seager prevails, he must then eliminate 2011 champion Robinson Cano or Giancarlo Stanton, a power cyborg constructed specifically for such an event.
While the outfielder has struggled this season, he caught fire with consecutive two-homer games against the New York Mets. As ESPN Stats & Info noted, the Miami Marlins outfielder makes sure to give fans in the nosebleeds a chance to collect a souvenir:
Stanton is not an All-Star, but he’s still the prohibitive favorite to win Monday night. Just don’t sleep on Adam Duvall, who has hit 20 of his 22 homers since May 1. The Cincinnati Reds’ lone All-Star must first vanquish Wil Myers in front of the San Diego Padres faithful, but he’s the best bet to survive the right side of the bracket.
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