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Mets Slugger Pete Alonso Will try to become the first player to win the All-Star Home Run Derby three times in a row against a field that includes Albert Pujols of the Cardinals, Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber, Braves Ronald Acuna Jr. and Juan Soto of Washington.
The New York first baseman said on Monday that he is one of nine participants in the July 18 contest at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
“It’s a really fun event, and it’s going to be super exciting,” Alonso said before the Mets played in Atlanta on Monday night. “I have a really good plan for going into it and, again, I just have so much fun. I don’t think anyone has more fun than me, especially when it comes to the event.”
Dave Joss, who was the Mets’ bench coach and is now a special assistant to the Washington Nationals, will pitch Alonso directly for the second derby.
“Just needed to give him two pots of coffee for the first and a case of Bud Light for the latter, and he said he was good to go,” Alonso said.
Cardinals Albert Pujol will take part in home run derby in 2022, fifth of his career
Alonso scored a total of 74 home runs in last year’s derby Denver’s Coors Field and beat Baltimore’s Trey Mancini 23-22 in the final round. Alonso joined with Ken Griffey Jr. (1998–99) and Yoennis Cespedes (2013–14) to win consecutive titles. Griffey also won in 1994 and is the only three-time champion.
Pujols will compete in his fifth Derby after coming short in 2003, 2007, 2009 and 2015. He and Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera were added to the All-Star roster as a special selection by Commissioner Rob Manfred.
Pete Alonso of the New York Mets is looking to capture his third straight home run derby title.
(AP Photo/David J. Philip)
Pujol will make his 11th All-Star appearance and will take part in the Derby at one of his former homes. He played 85 games with the Dodgers last season after being cut by the Los Angeles Angels, then signed with St. Louis before this season, which he has said will be his last.
Pujol, 42, has five homers this season and 684 in his career, fifth on the career list.
“It’s an honor to be back in the All-Star Game and to be a part of the Home Run Derby,” Pujols said Monday night. “Hopefully, I can put on a good show for him, because at the end of the day, it’s It’s not about us, it’s about putting on a good show for the fans.”
Schwarber posted a home run highlight reel to his Instagram page on Tuesday, and the Phillies later confirmed that his lone All-Star representative would take part in the Derby. Schwarber has scored 28 home runs in his first season with the Phillies.
Pete Alonso captures second straight home run derby crown
Atlanta star Acuna, who will be the starting outfielder for the National League, will compete in his second home run derby. Acuña was eliminated by Alonso in 2019, when he set his career high with 41 homers.
Acuna will compete in the Derby, even though he is not one of seven Atlanta players with 10 or more homers.
Acuña is hitting .274 with eight homers. He missed 19 games at the start of the season as he continued his recovery from reconstructive surgery on his right knee.
Akuna was the leader of the NL in all-star voting.
Soto will be in the Derby for the second year in a row. He ran the longest home run at last year’s competition at 520 feet—the longest derby drive in the Statcast era. He defeated Shohei Ohtani 31–28 after two tiebreakers in the first round, then lost 16–15 to Alonso in the second round.
Ronald Acuna Jr. of the Atlanta Braves will compete in the home run derby this year.
(AP Photo/Ben Margot)
Soto is making 17 home runs this season with .243 runs.
Joy Gallo, Matt Olson, Salvador Perez and Trevor Storey also competed last year.
There was no Derby in 2020 when the All-Star Game was scheduled for Dodger Stadium Was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
MLB Home Run Derby Fan Attacks Coors Field Trying To Catch
Alonso won the 2019 Derby in Cleveland as a rookie when he also defeated Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 23-22 in the final round. Guerrero, whose father won the competition in 2007, hit a total of 91 homers but was exhausted in the final round.