The Home Run Derby: Who should be in?
By Bill Felber
Home Run Derby
The home run leaders
Filling the first two slots is a counting exercise. Christian Yelich has led the majors in home runs all season. He had 26 home runs as of the tabulation date … and for the record has since then added two more.
In nominating Yelich, it must be noted that he is in one sense at least a flawed Home Run Derby candidate. While he delivers prodigious numbers, they are not – as a rule – inspiring shots.
Only four of Yelich’s first 26 home runs this season traveled in excess of 425 feet, the longest being 440. By current MLB standards for distance, 440 is not particularly long.
Still, Yelich is the MLB leader, so he is an automatic nominee to compete for the prize.
The other nominee for volume is Pete Alonso, first baseman of the New York Mets. As of June 18, he had 24 dingers, one more than either Hunter Renfroe or Cody Bellinger.
Alonso rates as a solid pick for several other reasons, first and most obviously being that he’s from New York. That ensures an intensely engaged audience.
He’s also a rookie, and fresh faces are always coveted in events of this sort. Beyond that, he is capable of going awe-inspiringly long. One quarter of Alonso’s first 24 homers carried more than 425 feet, his longest recently topping out at 458.