While the MLB All-Star Game is essentially the only thing that matters next week in terms of determining who has home advantage during the World Series, the Home Run Derby presented by T-Mobile is usually the more entertaining event of All-Star Week.
Not only has the new format catered to the younger demographic, but the vintage commentating by Chris Berman and his famous “Back, back, back, back…gone” call brings out the inner baseball childhood memories in all of us.
For baseball fans my age, you can’t help but watch the Home Run Derby and get deja vu of Ken Griffey Jr. launching a bomb that hit the warehouse across the street from Camden Yards in ’93, the 1998 Home Run Record Chase between Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds and Bobby Abrea going ballistic with a record 24 home runs in round one of the 2005 Home Run Derby at Comerica Park.
Flash forward to the 2016 Derby, and you have Chicago White Sox 3B Todd Frazier looking to repeat as Home Run Derby Champ, Wil Myers looking to put on a show at Petco Park in front of his home fans and 2016 Home Run leader Mark Trumbo (26) eager to win his first derby title.
The 2016 Home Run Derby Seeds were released by MLB.com on Thursday evening:
No. 1: Mark Trumbo, Baltimore Orioles, 26 home runs this season
No. 2: Todd Frazier, Chicago White Sox, 23
No. 3: Adam Duvall, Cincinnati Reds, 22
No. 4: Robinson Cano, Seattle Mariners, 20
No. 5: Giancarlo Stanton, Miami Marlins, 19
No. 6: Wil Myers, San Diego Padres, 19
No. 7: Carlos Gonzalez, Colorado Rockies, 18
No. 8: Corey Seager, Los Angeles Dodgers, 17
In bracket format:
So much power: Presenting the 2016 @TMobile #HRDerby bracket! 💪💪💪 pic.twitter.com/dwtD7Z9H7e
— MLB (@MLB) July 7, 2016
So who will win the 2016 MLB Home Run Derby? Here are my picks and predictions:
Next: 2016 MLB Home Run Derby Prediction: Round 1