2014 Home Run Derby Participants
The Home Run Derby has become one of the most anticipated events during the All-Star break and this year the event could be even more enjoyable because of some changes in the format.
This year the participants will only get seven outs per round instead of 10, a change that will help move the event along but could hinder the amount of home runs seen.
This Home Run Derby will have a bracket-style format in which five players from each league will appear at the plate during the first round, with the top hitters from each league receiving a bye to the third round.
Then, the next two players from both leagues will face off in the second round, with the winners advancing to face the top seeds.
In the end, the winners of the third round, one from each league, will face off in the finals.
List of participants
American League
Jose Bautista (Toronto Blue Jays) – 17 Home Runs
Yoenis Cespedes (Oakland Athletics) – 14 Home Runs
Adam Jones (Baltimore Orioles) – 16 Home Runs
Brian Dozier (Minnesota Twins) – 16 Home Runs
Josh Donaldson (Oakland Athletics) – 20 Home Runs
National League
Troy Tulowitzki (Colorado Rockies) – 20 Home Runs
Yasiel Puig (Los Angeles Dodgers) – 12 Home Runs
Giancarlo Stanton (Miami Marlins) – 21 Home Runs
Todd Frazier (Cincinnati Reds) – 17 Home Runs
Justin Morneau (Colorado Rockies) – 13 Home Runs
The Favorite
Giancarlo Stanton is favored to win this event at +125 at Americas Bookie. His 21 home runs this season lead all Derby participants. Stanton has blasted those 21 home runs despite playing in the eighth-hardest ballpark to hit home runs. This is according to ESPN’s Park Factors.
He makes up for the huge dimensions at Marlins Park by hitting balls further than anyone else in baseball. According to ESPN’s Hit Tracker, Stanton leads the league in average home run distance (423.8 feet).
