Raise your hand if you didn’t know there was a bracket for the Home Run Derby.
Yeah, MLB big wigs apparently implemented a bracket format in 2014. That whole 10 outs per round rule is gone and players now get a 4-minute clock to hit as many home runs as they can. And they get timeouts. One per round until the final, where contestants can burn two timeouts if they want.
Anyway, sorry for checking out of the Derby the last few years. I’ll pay closer attention now with Twins beast Miguel Sano in it. He got the five seed and is up against Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas in the first round.
If Sano advances he’ll probably face Giancarlo Stanton in the semifinals. Stanton hit a Derby record 61 total homers last year.
Here’s how these guys rank for homers on the season.
- Aaron Judge, Yankees – 29
- Mike Moustakas, Royals – 25
- Cody Bellinger, Dodgers – 24
- Giancarlo Stanton, Marlins – 23
- Miguel Sano, Twins – 20
- Justin Bour, Marlins – 19 (never heard of this guy)
- Charlie Blackmon, Rockies – 18
- Gary Sanchez, Yankees – 13
