Philadelphia hosts Home Run Derby with Harper and Schwarber rematch possible
The Home Run Derby field is set, with the event scheduled to take place at Citizens Bank Park on Monday at 7 pm CT. This year’s competition will feature eight participants, including Philadelphia Phillies teammates Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber, who previously faced each other in the 2018 final round. Harper won that contest 19-18.
Harper, who won the event in 2018 while playing for the Nationals, initially expressed disinterest in competing again. However, he decided to participate, citing fan interest and the desire for his children to remember the event. Schwarber announced his participation on Friday, marking the first time since 2018 that teammates will compete in the Derby.
Participants and Key Players
The full list of participants includes:
- Jac Caglianone, Royals
- Junior Caminero, Rays
- Willson Contreras, Red Sox
- Bryce Harper, Phillies
- Munetaka Murakami, White Sox
- Ben Rice, Yankees
- Kyle Schwarber, Phillies
- Jordan Walker, Cardinals
Schwarber leads the league in home runs, having gone deep 32 times. He previously hit a career-high 56 homers in a past season. Murakami will be the second Japanese-born player to compete in the event, following Shohei Ohtani in 2021. Murakami has hit 20 homers in his first 200 MLB at-bats and had a 56-homer campaign in Nippon Professional Baseball in 2022. Walker, in his fourth big-league season, has hit 22 home runs this year and leads the league in RBI. Caminero returns to the competition after reaching the finals last year and has been in strong power-hitting form recently, launching 11 home runs in his last 14 games. He is currently ranked third in the AL in home runs, trailing Yordan Alvarez by two and Rice by one.
Derby Format and Preparations
This year’s Derby will revert to using swings rather than timed rounds. Participants will get 20 swings in the first round, with the top four players advancing. The semifinals and finals will each consist of 15 swings in a head-to-head format. Rounds will not end on a home run; if a player hits a home run on their final swing, they can continue hitting until they fail to hit a home run.
For the event, Schwarber will have Phillies assistant hitting coach Rafael Pena throwing to him, a choice based on their two years of practice in the cage. Harper has selected Dodgers third-base coach Dino Ebel, who previously threw to Schwarber in an All-Star Game swing-off and was part of the Team USA staff during the World Baseball Classic, where Harper became acquainted with him.
Harper considered several options for his pitcher, including college and minor league throwers, as well as former players, before deciding on Ebel. Harper noted that Ebel throws a good batting practice, though he will not have the opportunity to practice with him before the Derby. Harper also suggested the idea of using aluminum bats for a few swings during the event, acknowledging potential safety concerns for the children shagging balls due to increased exit velocity. Schwarber found the concept interesting, recalling a time he jokingly used an aluminum bat in the cage after purchasing one from Dick’s Sporting Goods. He expressed a preference for wood bats but noted the fun in using old-school bats.
Both Harper and Schwarber are prepared to compete in front of what is anticipated to be an energetic crowd at Citizens Bank Park on Monday.
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Source: nytimes.com
