Munetaka Murakami’s late addition to the Home Run Derby field gave White Sox fans a real reason to tune in tonight. He was the eighth and final name revealed, and that timing made the event a lot more interesting for a fan base that will also get a White Sox player in tomorrow night’s All-Star Game for the first time in what seems like ages.
This year’s Derby field is split with five American League hitters and three from the National League. The eight participants are Jac Caglianone of the Royals, Junior Caminero of the Rays, Willson Contreras of the Red Sox, Bryce Harper of the Phillies, Munetaka Murakami of the White Sox, Ben Rice of the Yankees, Kyle Schwarber of the Phillies, and Jordan Walker of the Cardinals.
The format has changed, too. There’s no timer attached anymore.
Instead, the competition is built around swings, with each hitter getting 20 swings in Round 1, then 15 swings in Round 2 and Round 3. The only way to earn extra swings is to go deep on the final swing of a round; if that happens, the hitter keeps going until he finally puts one in play that falls short of the fence.
Four hitters move on from the opening round, and the semifinals are seeded off those first-round totals. The No. 1 homer total faces No. 4, while No. 2 goes against No.
- If hitters tie in Round 1, the longest home run breaks it.
Ties in the semis and finals go to a three-swing swing-off.
MLB’s Will Leitch put Schwarber and Harper at the top of his rankings, with Caminero among the three favorites. Murakami was fourth on that list, which makes sense given the circumstances.
If he were not just returning from injury, he might be right behind Schwarber. But after missing most of the past six weeks, the rust and fatigue make him a tougher pick to win it all.
At the same time, there’s always the chance he comes in fresh and starts launching balls into the seats.
For those trying to follow along, the Derby is streaming exclusively on Netflix. The pre-Derby coverage starts at 6 p.m.
CT, and the competition itself begins at 7 p.m. CT.
SiriusXM will carry the event on radio.
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