Twins second baseman Brian Dozier will participate in the Home Run Derby Monday night at Target Field.
The event is part of Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game festivities in Minneapolis.
Dozier, who wasn’t selected to play in next week’s All-Star Game, leads the Twins with 16 home runs on the season. He becomes the first Twins player to participate in the home run derby since Joe Mauer in 2009. The last Twins player to win it was Justin Morneau in 2008.
When Joe Mauer was in the Derby in 2009, he was averaging a HR every 16.1 at-bats. Brian Dozier is averaging a HR per 20.8 ABs this year.
— Tyler Mason (@tylermason21) July 8, 2014
American League Competitors
- Jose Bautista, Toronto Blue Jays
- Yoenis Cespedes, Oakland Athletics
- Brian Dozier, Minnesota Twins
- Adam Jones, Baltimore Orioles
National League Competitors
- Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado Rockies
- Todd Frazier, Cincinnati Reds
- Yasiel Puig, Los Angeles Dodgers
- Giancarlo Stanton, Miami Marlins
An additional fifth member will be named to each team on Thursday.
That last spot could go to Morneau, who is now with Colorado, if he is selected to the final National League All-Star spot in this week’s fan vote.
There is a new format in the home run derby this year. Each player will get seven outs per round, instead of 10. The home run leader in each league after the first round will receive a bye to the third round, while the players from each league will face off in a head-to-head matchup in the second round.
The event now will last four rounds.
Dozier wasn’t selected to participate in the All-Star Game and was going to return home to see his family, during the break. However, he has had to change his plans.
Brian Dozier's brother will throw to him in the Home Run Derby
— Rhett Bollinger (@RhettBollinger) July 8, 2014
According to the Star Tribune, Dozier ranks third all-time with 21 career home runs at Target Field. His 16 home runs rank him 12th in the American League this season, prior to Tuesday’s games.
Last week Dozier said he thinks someone could hit a ball out of the ballpark over the third deck during the derby.
“We keep talking, will there be a ball go out of the stadium or not? I think that would probably be the most impressive thing,” Dozier told FOX Sports Net. “It’s pretty much a consensus that I think it will happen to left field, over everything. We’re talking about over the third deck.”
