It’s official, the field has been set for the 2023 Home Run Derby, arguably the biggest event of the MLB All-Star break. The 2023 Home Run Derby is scheduled for Monday, July 10 at 8 p.m. ET.

While there is a nice mix of names in this year’s home run derby, the two MLB home run leaders will not be participating. In the American League, Shohei Ohtani has 31 home runs as of July 7th, which leads the MLB. Will he end up breaking the record currently held by Aaron Judge? Currently, he’s on pace to do just that. As for the National League, Matt Olson has 29 home runs which is good for second in the MLB.

You can check out the entire schedule for the 2023 MLB All-Star Week here.

2023 Home Run Derby Odds

Pete Alonso – New York Mets +300

Leading the way with the best chances to win this year’s home run derby is Pete Alonso. The Mets first baseman has won it twice before, back in 2019 and again in 2021. Alonso currently has 26 home runs and will look to make a run this year.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – Toronto Blue Jays +360

Back for the first time since his rookie season in 2019, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will participate in the 2023 Home Run Derby. Guerrero is just 24 years old and set the Derby record with 91 homers as the runner-up in 2023. While he only has 13 home runs on the season, he’s experienced here and is certainly in play to make a run.

Luis Robert Jr. – Chicago White Sox 25 +500

Julio Rodriguez – Seattle Mariners 13 +550

Adolis Garcia – Texas Rangers 22 +650

Randy Arozarena – Tampa Bay Rays 16 +950

Mookie Betts – Los Angeles Dodgers 23 +1000

Adley Rutschman – Baltimore Orioles 11 +1700

Updated: July 7th, 2023 from DraftKings.

Home Run Derby Outlook and Best Bets

The participants and frontrunners for the 2023 MLB Home Run Derby have been revealed. While some players shy away from the event, fearing it may disrupt their swing or timing at the plate, Pete Alonso of the New York Mets seems to thrive in this competition. This will be his fourth consecutive year participating, having triumphed twice before but falling to Julio Rodriguez of the Seattle Mariners in last year’s semifinals.

Rodriguez, who enjoys a possible hometown advantage with the event being held in Seattle, recorded the highest number of home runs in the previous tournament, smashing an impressive 81 home runs. However, the majority of his home runs came in the early rounds before losing to Juan Soto in the finals.

Soto won’t defend his title this year, meaning either Alonso or Rodriguez will progress beyond the first round as they face each other once again. Apparently, oddsmakers aren’t overly optimistic about Rodriguez’s chances. However, he still holds the fourth-best odds to win the entire competition, despite being matched up against the overall favorite in the opening round. If Alonso manages to surpass Rodriguez this time, he could potentially encounter another familiar opponent,

Vladimir Guerrero Jr., whom he defeated in the 2019 finals to claim his first Derby crown. However, before that rematch can take place, Guerrero must first overcome Mookie Betts, the star player from the Los Angeles Dodgers. Interestingly, Betts has hit the third-most home runs among the participants this year, but he has shorter odds than only two of his peers.

Betts will be making his debut appearance in the Home Run Derby as will top seed, Luis Robert. Robert will face off against Adley Rutschman, the catcher for the Baltimore Orioles, in what appears to be a potentially easy matchup for the White Sox slugger. However, it’s important to note that strong regular-season performance doesn’t always guarantee success in this competition. Adolis Garcia and Randy Arozarena round out the field, setting the stage for an opening round filled with excitement and hard-hitting action.

Overall, the best bets for this one look to be on Alonso, Guererro Jr., and Robert Jr.

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