MLB: Who should hit for $1 million in the 2019 Home Run Derby

When it comes to All-Star Games, the MLB has the best showcase in all of professional sports. From the actual All-Star Game to the Home Run Derby, no other sport showcases itself better.

And, with the announcement from MLB that the winner of the Home Run Derby will get a $1 million prize, the showcase should become even more spectacular.

The $1 million prize was announced Thursday by MLB in a deal that included several changes agreed upon by the League and the Player’s Association. In an article by David Adler with MLB.com, Joey Gallo said about the announcement:

"“I have always said if they want guys doing these things, you’ve got to have some incentives for the guys. The NBA started doing [that], when you win the All-Star Game, the guys on those teams get paid. Now it’s more competitive; guys actually want to play. It’s a really good idea for MLB to do that.”"

Players have often avoided the Home Run Derby because of the toll it takes on the body and the belief that it affects their swings. In 2014,  Neil Greenberg of The Washington Post addressed this question and found that players who participate in the Home Run Derby see a slight decrease in power in the second half of the season. But, they saw that players who do not participate in the Home Run Derby see the same decrease in the second half of the season. Greenberg wrote about the myth:

"The notion that participating in the home run derby can ruin your swing is a myth. Instead, it looks like hitters just get a little less lucky on the fly balls leaving the yard."

Since the Home Run Derby does not change a player’s swing, there should be no excuse for not participating in it. So, who should try to hit for the extra $1 million at Progressive Field in July? I’ve got a few favorites from each division.