Pete Alonso avoided one major threat when Shohei Ohtani reportedly declined an invite into the Home Run Derby, but the two-time defending champion is still not favored to complete the three-peat.
Shortly after Texas’ Corey Seager accepted the eighth and final spot Thursday, SportsBetting.ag installed Philadelphia’s Kyle Schwarber as the +350 favorite to win Monday’s contest. Schwarber was named the No. 1 seed as he will make his second Derby appearance and entered Thursday leading the National League with 28 home runs. Schwarber will open this year’s competition against Albert Pujols, the future Hall of Famer who carries +1400 odds – far longer than anyone else in the field.
Home Run Derby Odds- Kyle Schwarber +350Pete Alonso +400Jose Ramirez +550Juan Soto +550Corey Seager +650Julio Rodriguez +650Ronald Acuna Jr. +650Albert Pujols +1400
Schwarber is a slight favorite over Alonso, the No. 2 seed who is attempting to join Ken Griffey Jr. as the only players to win the Derby three times. He’ll also be looking to break his single-round record of 34 homers hit in the first round last year.
Alonso’s consecutive titles is why Acuna Jr. enters with +650 odds despite hitting 44 homers in his Derby debut last year. Acuna Jr. also leads Major League Baseball in average feet per homer this year, but he first has to get past Alonso in the opening round.
Seager steps in as the No. 3 seed after being added to the All-Star Game as an injury replacement for Toronto center fielder George Springer. The long-time Dodger played his first seven seasons in Los Angeles and has hit 59 of his 125 career home runs at Dodger Stadium.
Seager will square off against a division rival in Seattle’s rookie phenom Rodriguez. He’s the first rookie to participate in the Derby since Alonso and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in 2019.
[embed]https://twitter.com/JRODshow44/status/1547316533810061313?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw[/embed]The final pairing pits No. 4 seed Soto against No. 5 seed Ramirez.
Soto upset Ohtani in an epic battle that went to a swing-off in his debut last year. Ramirez will be participating for the first time after hitting 36 home runs last year. He entered Thursday with 17 this year and leads the American League with 68 RBIs.
–Field Level Media ()