The field is set for Monday’s Home Run Derby in San Diego. Who has a chance of taking home the title?
Petco Park in San Diego, home of the 2016 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, has gotten a reputation as an extremely pitcher-friendly stadium since its opening in 2004. That perception, though, may be a bit outdated, as a decision to move the fences in after the 2012 season has moved the home of the Padres closer to the league average when it comes to longballs.
The participants in the 2016 Home Run Derby will look to put that old idea to rest on Monday night, as two former champions, one rookie, one hometown favorite, and two players who’ve already eclipsed 200 career homers will do battle for the title of home run king.
This year’s challenge features a seeded, single elimination, head-to-head format, with each player getting four minutes to hit as many home runs as they can. An additional thirty seconds of bonus time will be added for any player who hits two homers of at least 440 feet, with StatCast providing distances, exit velocities, and launch angles.
Six of the eight Derby participants were selected for the All-Star Game, with two wild card players not playing on Tuesday added to bolster the field. The official bracket looks like this:
So much power: Presenting the 2016 @TMobile #HRDerby bracket! 💪💪💪 pic.twitter.com/dwtD7Z9H7e
— MLB (@MLB) July 7, 2016
A glance at Petco Park’s dimensions suggest that the advantage may go to right-handed hitters, with the left field Line at 336 feet and straight away left coming in at 357 feet, as opposed to 322 feet down the right field line but 382 feet to straight away right. Center field sits at just 396, but the power alleys are a cavernous 401 feet in left and 400 feet in right, meaning pull power will be highly important.
So who has the best chance of coming out on top? Let’s take a look at the head-to-head matchups and try to handicap this slugfest.
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