Who is in the home run derby 2022

With a final total of 53 home runs, Nationals slugger Juan Soto won the 2022 MLB Home Run Derby on Monday night at Dodger Stadium.

The star outfielder defeated Mariners rookie Julio Rodríguez in the finals by a score of 19–18 to take home the first HR Derby crown of his career. Soto will also receive $1 million of the $2.5 million prize pool after outlasting a stacked field of All-Star competitors that also included two-time champion Pete Alonso, Ronald Acuña Jr., Albert Pujols, Kyle Schwarber, José Ramírez and Corey Seager.

Rodriguez, who ended the night with a staggering 81 dingers, met Soto after shockingly erasing Alonso’s bid for an elusive three-peat in Round 2. The rising star eliminated the Mets All-Star after outscoring him, 31–22, ending his two-year reign over the event. Alonso won last year at Coors Field in Denver and in 2019 at Progressive Field in Cleveland; the 2020 edition of the event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Entering the night as the No. 4 seed, Soto began the contest by outdueling Ramírez, the No. 5 seed, 18–17, to advance to the semifinals. In Round 2, he narrowly defeated the legendary Pujols, 16–15, to set up an intense finals showdown with Rodriguez. It took Soto 10 swings before he finally found his stride, hitting 10 homers before taking a break and returning to eventually clinch the win with another four blasts, including a 415-foot homer with 20 seconds of bonus time to spare.

Soto’s thrilling victory makes him the second-youngest winner in derby history as he is one day older than 1993 winner, former Rangers star Juan González. After losing to Alonso in the semifinal in 2021, the 23-year-old Soto returned to the competition with another standout performance a little over a year after he set the record for the longest home run ever tracked in the event’s 37-year existence with a 520-foot moonshot at Coors Field.

His winning effort at Monday night’s showcase comes at an interesting time for the two-time Silver Slugger after he shocked the sports world over the weekend by turning down a historic 15-year, $440 million extension from Washington. Soto has reportedly been made available for trade in the aftermath of his decision and figures to remain a prominent headline in the months to come as teams attempt to acquire him in a blockbuster deal.

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Who’s ready for moonshots in the City of Stars?

Major League Baseball’s All-Star festivities will take place at Dodger Stadium next week. The full All-Star Game rosters have been revealed, and now the field for Monday’s Home Run Derby has been finalized.

Which sluggers are stepping up to the plate in Los Angeles? Here’s the full list of players who are confirmed for the event:

Pete Alonso, New York Mets

Alonso is aiming for a three-peat.

The Mets All-Star first baseman has reigned victorious at back-to-back Home Run Derbies, winning his first title in Cleveland in 2019 and defending his title in Colorado last season. He earned his second career All-Star bid this year, tallying 23 home runs and an MLB-leading 72 RBIs so far this season.

With a third Derby win, Alonso would tie Ken Griffey Jr. for the most in MLB history.

Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals

Pujols is making his final All-Star appearance an eventful one.

The Cardinals first baseman was named a “special selection” for the 2022 All-Star Game along with Detroit Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera. He will also be in the spotlight on Monday, as he enters his fifth Home Run Derby and chases his first win.

For the season, Pujols has six homers in 51 games.

Kyle Schwarber, Philadelphia Phillies

One of baseball’s hottest hitters will look to keep things going in the Home Run Derby.

Schwarber was named the NL Player of the Month for June after crushing 12 home runs and driving in 27 runs. That momentum has carried into July, as Schwarber is up to an NL-leading 28 home runs on the season.

The Phillies first baseman will make his Home Run Derby debut on Monday before participating in his second straight All-Star Game on Tuesday.

Ronald Acuña Jr., Atlanta Braves

Acuña is back in a big way this season.

The Braves outfielder missed the team’s 2021 World Series run after suffering a torn ACL last July. He made his 2022 debut in late April and has returned to All-Star form, contributing eight homers, 22 RBIs and 18 stolen bases in 56 games. Fans showed how much they wanted to see Acuña in the All-Star Game, making him the NL’s leading vote-getter.

This is Acuña’s second Home Run Derby appearance. He lost to Alonso in the 2019 semifinals in his Derby debut.

Juan Soto, Washington Nationals

The Nationals’ lone All-Star will be one of the top players to watch in L.A.

Soto earned his second straight All-Star appearance as a reserve. The 23-year-old outfielder has been a bright spot for the last-place Nats, hitting 19 homers to go along with 41 RBIs so far.

Like Acuña, Soto’s first Home Run Derby ended in the semifinals against Alonso, this time in 2021. Now, Soto is looking to get past his NL East counterpart and lift the Home Run Derby trophy.

Julio Rodriguez, Seattle Mariners

The AL Rookie of the Year frontrunner will make his All-Star and Home Run Derby debut this year.

Rodriguez, 21, is doing things that haven’t been done at his age since Mariners legend Ken Griffey Jr. – who won the Derby three times with Seattle. With 15 home runs and 21 steals this year, Rodriguez is on his way to a potential 30-30 season.

There is a recent history of rookies winning the Derby, as Aaron Judge did it for the Yankees in 2017 and Alonso did it in 2019. Rodriguez is hoping to become the third rookie in history to claim the title.

Jose Ramirez, Cleveland Guardians

Ramirez was the seventh of eight players to lock himself into the Derby.

One of the best hitters in baseball perennially, Ramirez has 17 home runs and 68 RBIs for the Guardians in 2022. He hit 36 dingers last season and had a career-high 39 bombs in 2018.

Despite the fact that he’s been in the majors since 2013, this year will be Ramirez’s Derby debut. The 29-year-old third baseman will make his fourth All-Star appearance in Los Angeles.

Corey Seager, Texas Rangers

Seager is heading back to L.A.

The former Los Angeles Dodger and current Texas Rangers shortstop became the eighth player to enter this year’s Derby. He was also named an All-Star replacement on Thursday, taking the spot of injured Toronto Blue Jays outfielder George Springer.

For the season, Seager has 21 homers.

2022 MLB Home Run Derby Bracket

Here is the seeding and matchups for the 2022 Home Run Derby:

• No. 1 Kyle Schwarber vs. No. 8 Albert Pujols
• No. 4 Juan Soto vs. No. 5 Jose Ramirez
• No. 3 Corey Seager vs. No. 6 Julio Rodriguez
• No. 2 Pete Alonso vs. No. 7 Ronald Acuna Jr.

Seeding was determined based on the number of homers each player has on the season as of Thursday.

The winner of Schwarber-Pujols will face the winner of Soto-Ramirez in the semifinals. The other semifinal matchup will be between the winner of Seager-Rodriguez and the winner of Alonso-Acuna.

From there, the two semifinal winners will battle for the Derby crown.