Among the list of eight participants is a well-known veteran, Albert Pujols who is currently sharing a record with Miguel Cabrera, but that’s another story. But Pujols has never won a derby home run before.
The last time Pujols came close to winning a derby home run was in 2003 when he reached the derby final and lost to Garrett Anderson 8-9 but during that year he was the player with the most home runs although it was not enough to win.
On the other hand there is the young blood of Ronald Acuña Jr, he is a valuable underdog who could become a favorite if his performance during the first round is good. But against so many favorites and defending champion Pete Alonso, Ronald is unlikely to win this year.
The 2022 MLB Home Run Derby participants
Number one on the list is Pete Alonso as he is the defending champion for the last two editions and if Alonso wins this year he could set a record for the longest winning streak in the derby. Alonso is one of the top 10 home run leaders in the current regular season.
- Pete Alonso
- Kyle Schwarber
- Juan Soto
- Ronald Acuna Jr.
- Julio Rodriguez
- Corey Seager
- Jose Ramirez
- Albert Pujols
The Underdogs are obviously Jose Ramirez, Albert Pujols and Corey Seager but the latter could be one of the best underdogs in the derby along with Ronald Acuña Jr and Julio Rodriguez. The National League has won the last three derby games, while the AL last won when Aaron Judge won the title in 2017.