It was announced Friday afternoon that phenom Shohei Ohtani accepted an invitation to participate in the 2021 MLB Home Run Derby at Coors Field. Ohtani is the first individual to accept an invitation to what will be the first home run derby since 2019. Coincidentally enough, the New York Mets’ very own Pete Alonso won that event which took place at Progressive Field. So, with one participant locked in, who should the other seven invitees be?
American League
Shohei Ohtani
As mentioned above, the Japanese two-way player was the first player to accept his invitation. Ohtani has taken the MLB by storm this year, pitching to an ERA of 2.70 and striking out 73 batters over 53.1 innings. However, in this competition, he will have to rely on his hitting, which has also been worldly.
Ohtani already has 22 home runs in only 257 at-bats. His 10.6 at-bats per home run hit ranks third in the MLB behind Fernando Tatis Jr. and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Also, when he hits the ball, he hits it hard. Per Baseball Savant, he has the most total barrels in the MLB and ranks inside the top-15 in average exit velocity. Ohtani is an extremely well-deserving first invitee.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
The current American League home run leader with 23 should certainly receive an invitation to the event. He ranks second in the MLB in at-bats per home run hit. Notably, he was the runner-up against Pete Alonso in the 2019 edition of the contest. Surely he would like some revenge after a historical performance that fell just short back in 2019.
The current AL MVP favorite has crushed the ball this year. Per Baseball Savant, he is top-three in the MLB in average exit velocity and has the fifth most total barrel contact. Watching him invoke his power-hitting prowess in the high-altitude of Colorado would certainly be a treat.
He may not be the flashiest name on this list, but what a year he is having. The two-time Gold Glove winner is having a career year. He currently is batting 0.301 and has hit the fourth-most home runs and batted in the fourth amount of runs league-wide. His at-bats per home run hit rate of 12.3 ranks fourth in the MLB.
Like his counterparts, Olson is also blistering the ball when he makes contact. His average exit velocity ranks 14th in the MLB, and his total barrels rank seventh. As mentioned above, he may not be the most star-studded name on the list but given the power he has displayed this year, he would surely put on a great show.
Devers would surprisingly be a first-time entrant into the contest if he were to be invited. He ranks sixth in the AL with 17 home runs and has batted in the second-most runs. The most intriguing part of possibly seeing Devers is how hard he hits the ball.
Devers has a hard hit % of 57.2 which ranks third in the MLB, his 32 barrels rank third as well. Another interesting statistic is Devers’ average home run length is 11th highest in the MLB. All the statistics above, especially exaggerated at Coors Field, would make Devers must-see TV.
Honorable Mentions
There are so many different names that can be included in the above top-four. Break out 28-year old rookie Adolis Garcia would also be another good candidate as he led the MLB in home runs for a large part of the season before being overtaken by Guerrero and others. Veterans Salvador Perez and Marcus Semien each have 18 home runs (tied fourth-best in AL). Jose Abreu, Giancarlo Stanton, and Nelson Cruz all have the pure power that would also put on a show in the high altitude.
National League
Fernando Tatis Jr.
What a year the 22-year-old shortstop is having. He currently leads the MLB with 22 home runs in only 198 at-bats. At a regular-season pace (roughly 580 at-bats) Tatis would be on pace to hit 60-plus homers. However, given some missed time he is on-pace for about 40. Additionally, his 9.0 at-bats per home run hit leads the MLB by a wide margin.
Tatis’ hard-hit percentage ranks fifth in the MLB and his average home run distance is 421 feet which is the fourth highest. This is a deadly combination, especially at Coors Field. Let’s hope we get to see Tatis put on a show at the most hitter-friendly ballpark of all time.
A theme has surely developed above by now, and that is the age of these power-hitting superstars. The 23-year-old Acuna has missed some time this year but still has the second-most homer runs in the NL with 18. His at-bats per home run hit rate of 12.7 ranks just behind Matt Olson at fifth.
Whenever Acuna hits the ball it is always a show. His average exit velocity ranks fifth in the MLB, his number of barrels second, and hard hit percentage is fifth. Like many of the above, watching Acuna in Coors Field teeing off batting practice-like pitches would be an absolute show.
One of the MLB’s breakout players this season is the 26-year-old Colorado Rockies’ infielder. McMahon is well on his way to put up career numbers as he already has 16 home runs, 44 runs batted in, and an on-base plus slugging (OPS) of .824.
McMahon’s average home run distance of 416 feet ranks seventh. His 17th highest sweet spot percentage indicates when he makes contact it is of the solid variety. At the end of the day, who does not want to see the hometown guy perform in front of his fans?
The defending champion should get a chance to retain his crown, right? Well, if Alonso were to get selected it would be for that reason. Like many of the New York Mets’ hitters, Alonso has gotten off to a bit of a slow start by his standards. His 10 home runs only rank tied for 27th in the NL and his at-bats per home run hit rate is 33rd in the MLB.
Despite this, Alonso is still killing the baseball whenever he makes contact. His average exit velocity ranks in the MLB’s 90th percentile, maximum exit velocity in the 99th, and his barrel percentage in the 95th. Everyone saw what he did in Cleveland, imagine what the “Polar Bear” would do in Colorado?
Honorable Mentions
If Alonso were not to get selected as the fourth participant, there would be several other great options. Chicago Cubs’ slugger Javier Baez ranks ninth in the MLB in at-bats per home run hit, he would certainly be a strong choice. Cincinnati Reds’ breakout outfielder Jesse Winker ranks third in the NL with 17 home runs, he would also be a great selection. Other possible options are Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy, and Eduardo Escobar.
Get Ready For A Show
Coors Field will be hosting the MLB Home Run Derby for the first time in its ballpark history. As everyone is well aware, the ballpark is a hitter’s best friend. Due to the high altitude, the runs per game, as well as home runs per game average is always one of the highest, if not the highest in the MLB. Add in the young sluggers of the likes of Ohtani, Tatis, Guerrero and Acuna the possibilities are endless. Now, let’s just hope the right individuals are invited and those accept it.
