Kris Bryant: Why is he in the Home Run Derby?

Unlike the all-star game, which unfortunately means something, the home run derby essentially means nothing more than pride. So to say that someone does not belong in the derby is kind of like grilling a cow stuffed animal hoping for a hamburger.

Now that that terrible analogy is out of the way, Kris Bryant should not be in the home run derby.

More from Call to the Pen

The reasons are many, but lets start with the fact that he only has 12 home runs. You can say all you want that he got off to a slow start and he hits them really far, the fact remains that he only has twelve/12/10+2/6×2 home runs.

There are 19 people in the National League that have more home runs than Bryant and another five that have just as many as he. 12 is not that many. You can hit a ball 600 feet if you want, it is still just one home run.

The two biggest absences are Giancarlo Stanton and Bryce Harper. However, Stanton is injured and Harper did not want to participate seeing as how his dad would not be able to throw the pitches. While we don’t know who else was asked, lets consider who else should be jacking balls over walls instead of Kris Bryant.

Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado, Adrian Gonzalez and Justin Upton, are four of those 19 guys that have more home runs than Kris Bryant and all are far more deserving. Goldschmidt never gets the credit he deserves and being chosen for a home run derby would have been a good start. While Goldy downplayed participating, saying (via CBS), “I’d consider it, but my swing isn’t really conducive to the Derby,” you still have to wonder what could have been.

Nolan Arenado also downplayed the prospect, telling the Denver Post that he did not want to mess with his swing, but given that he was not even given the chance to consider it, downplaying the possibility is only natural.

Gonzalez and Upton were not even considered but they most certainly have home run caliber swings.

The home run derby is kind of like the NBA dunk contest, but the difference is that no one cares about he dunk contest anymore because no one good participates. The Home Run Derby is still supposed to have the best power hitters in the league and Kris Bryant is not yet one of those.

Not only that, but are there really two Chicago Cubs participating? Rizzo I get, he has 16 home runs, that’s well and good, but that should have been the end of the baby blue battalion suiting up in the slug fest.

If the theme is to get the great young talents in the contest, then why is Pujols in it? If you want a healthy mix between power prowess and young potential, then Arenado and Goldy would have been twice as effective as Bryant and A-Gon and Upton would have provided more power prowess with not as much youth.

This is a fishy selection. Kris Bryant has no business in this event. Now watch him go and win it.

Next: Donaldson could be first ever HR Derby winner for Jays