In Monday’s 2022 MLB Home Run Derby, bragging rights and a million-dollar reward are on the line, but Pete Alonso is trying to create history at Dodger Stadium. The New York Mets first baseman has won the last two power-hitting contests leading up to the MLB All-Star Game, and he might become the first player in history to win three in a row.
Ken Griffey Jr. is the only player to have won the Home Run Derby three times (1994, 1998, and 1999). In the first round, Alonso will meet outfielder Ronald Acuna of the NL East foe Atlanta Braves.
Index Of This Post
Home Run Derby 2022 Odds, Picks, Predictions, Participants, Bets
Kyle Schwarber of the Philadelphia Phillies is the No. 1 seed and will play Albert Pujols, 42, of the St. Louis Cardinals, who is an honorary All-Star in his last season with the team.
The Texas Rangers’ Corey Seager will face Seattle Mariners youngster Julio Rodriguez in the other first-round game, while the Cleveland Guardians’ Jose Ramirez will face Juan Soto of the Washington Nationals.
Predictions
Acuna, who has experience in the event but faces a tough initial test, is one person Bollman is avoiding on Monday night. After a solid start after his late-April comeback from ACL surgery, the 24-year-old has been uneasy at the plate. Acuna has eight home runs in 56 games before the weekend, including one in his previous 18 games. As the seventh seed, he will play two-time defending champion, Alonso, in the first round.
Acuna faced up against Alonso in the second round of the 2019 Home Run Derby, but the Mets star is much more seasoned now. Acuna blasted 25 home runs in the first round of that year’s draught before settling for 18 in the second. Alonso defeated him with a buzzer-beating shot to earn his first championship. The New York first baseman has 24 home runs this season and owns the Home Run Derby records for most home runs in the first round (35 in 2021) and most lifetime home runs (131).
On the other side, there are emerging talents as well as veteran sluggers who may make a run. Schwarber has only competed in one Home Run Derby, reaching the finals in 2018 and falling to Bryce Harper. Pujols is competing in his seventh Home Run Derby, and the slower pace may benefit MLB’s oldest player. The future Hall of Famer has eight home runs this season and is eighth in MLB history with 684.
Last year, Soto put on a display, hitting a Derby-record 520-foot homer and defeating No. 1 seed Shohei Ohtani in the first round before falling to Alonso in the second. Seager, who was a rookie in the Derby in 2016, has 126 career home runs in 722 games, one per 21.9 at-bats. He spent six seasons with the Dodgers, so he could count on fan support. As a rookie, Rodriguez has 16 home runs, while Ramirez has 17 and a.925 OPS (sixth in MLB). SportsLine has his other Home Run Derby choices.
Picks
Bollman is avoiding Acuna due to the difficult path ahead of him, but the expert has two more sure bets. One is a solid bet on the winner, and he also predicts the final showdown, a gamble that might pay out handsomely. These options are only available at SportsLine.
So, who will win the MLB Home Run Derby in 2022? And who will the winner face in the championship match? Find out by visiting SportsLine and seeing John Bollman’s top 2022 Home Run Derby choices, all from the expert who has smashed his MLB picks over the previous two seasons.
2022 MLB Home Run Derby Odds, Participants
Pete Alonso +190
Kyle Schwarber +330
Juan Soto +600
Julio Rodriguez +700
Ronalda Acuna Jr. +750
Corey Seager +1000
Jose Ramirez +1800
Albert Pujols +2400
Bets
In the most recent 2022 MLB Home Run Derby odds, Caesars Sportsbook has Alonso as the +190 favorite (risk $100 to win $190), with Schwarber behind at +330. The top candidates are Soto (+600), Rodriguez (+700), and Acuna (+750), who is followed by Seager (+1000), Ramirez (+1800), and Pujols (+2400).
Before making any 2022 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby choices or predictions, you should listen to SportsLine baseball analyst John Bollman.
