The Home Run Derby is an annual home run hitting competition in Major League Baseball (MLB) customarily held the day before the MLB All-Star Game, which places the contest on a Monday in July. A “home run” in the context of the competition, consists of hitting a baseball in fair territory out of the playing field on the fly. It differs from a home run hit during legal gameplay in that the batter is not competing against a pitcher and a defensive team attempting to make an out. In addition, the batter does not circle the bases and score a run. Since the inaugural derby in 1985, the event has seen several rule changes, evolving from a short outs-based competition, to multiple rounds, and eventually a bracket-style timed event.
Prince Semien Fielder is an American former professional baseball first baseman and designated hitter, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers, Detroit Tigers, and Texas Rangers. He was selected in the first round of the 2002 Major League Baseball draft by the Brewers out of Eau Gallie High School in Melbourne, Florida, and spent the first seven years of his MLB career with the Brewers before signing with the Tigers, in January 2012. In November 2013, Fielder was traded to the Rangers, where he played the remainder of his career.
Robinson José Canó is a Dominican-American professional baseball second baseman for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB).
Adrián González Savín, also known by his nicknames "A-Gon" and "Titán", is a retired Mexican-American professional baseball first baseman He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, and New York Mets.
The 2006 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 77th playing of the midseason exhibition baseball game between the all-stars of the American League (AL) and National League (NL), the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 11, 2006 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the home of the Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League. The contest was the fifth hosted by the city of Pittsburgh – tying the Cleveland Indians for the record of most times hosted by a single franchise. The game resulted in the American League defeating the National League 3–2, thus awarding the AL champion home-field advantage in the 2006 World Series.
Yoenis Céspedes Milanés, nicknamed "La Potencia", is a Cuban-born professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent. He made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut on March 28, 2012, for the Oakland Athletics, and has also played in MLB for the Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers and New York Mets. Primarily a left fielder in his early career, he has split between left and center field since joining the Mets. A right-hand batter and fielder, he stands 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m) tall and weighs 220 pounds (100 kg).
The 2007 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 78th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL), the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 10, 2007, at AT&T Park, the home of the NL's San Francisco Giants. It marked the third time that the Giants hosted the All Star Game since moving to San Francisco for the 1958 season. The 1961 and 1984 All Star Games were played at the Giants former home Candlestick Park, and the fourth overall in the Bay Area, with the Giants bay area rivals the Oakland Athletics hosting once back in 1987, and the second straight held in an NL ballpark.
The 2007 State Farm Home Run Derby was a 2007 Major League Baseball All-Star Game event. The Home Run Derby was held on July 9 at AT&T Park, the home field of the San Francisco Giants. As usual, the competition had eight competitors, seven of whom were eliminated over three rounds. The Home Run Derby was seen July 9 on ESPN at 8 p.m. EST. Vladimir Guerrero of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim beat Alex Ríos of the Toronto Blue Jays 3–2 in the final.
The 2009 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby was a home run hitting contest in Major League Baseball (MLB) between four batters each from the National League and American League. The derby was held on July 13, 2009, at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, the host location of the 2009 MLB All-Star Game. ESPN, Rogers Sportsnet (Canada), and ESPN America (Europe) telecast the event, while ESPN Radio broadcast on radio.
The 2010 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby was a home run hitting contest in Major League Baseball (MLB) between four batters each from the American League and National League. The derby was held on July 12, 2010, at the site of the 2010 MLB All-Star Game, Angel Stadium of Anaheim in Anaheim, California. The event was broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN 3D, and ESPN Deportes. It was also broadcast internationally on Rogers SportsNet in Canada, and ESPN America in Europe. David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox won the event.
The 2012 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby was a home run hitting contest in Major League Baseball (MLB) between four batters each from the American League and National League. The derby was held on July 9, 2012, at the site of the 2012 MLB All-Star Game, Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.
The 2006 Century 21 Home Run Derby was a 2006 Major League Baseball All-Star Game event held at PNC Park, the home field of the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 10, 2006. The competition had eight competitors as usual and seven were eliminated in over three rounds. Ryan Howard of the Philadelphia Phillies defeated David Wright of the New York Mets to be crowned derby champion. A total of 87 home runs were hit in the derby.
The 2014 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby was a home run hitting contest in Major League Baseball (MLB) between five batters each from the American League and National League. The derby was held on July 14, 2014, at the site of the 2014 MLB All-Star Game, Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Yoenis Céspedes was the winner, repeating his winning performance in 2013 to join Ken Griffey Jr. and Pete Alonso as the only players to win consecutive Home Run Derbies.
The 2015 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby was a home run hitting contest between eight batters from Major League Baseball (MLB). The derby was held on July 13, 2015, at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio, the site of the 2015 MLB All-Star Game.
The 2016 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby was a home run hitting contest between eight batters from Major League Baseball (MLB). The derby was held on July 11, 2016, at Petco Park in San Diego, California, the site of the 2016 MLB All-Star Game. On July 8, the participants that will be eligible to participate in the Home Run Derby were announced. Giancarlo Stanton won the Home Run Derby by defeating defending champion Todd Frazier 20–13.
The 2017 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby was a home run hitting contest between eight batters from Major League Baseball (MLB). The derby was held on July 10, 2017, at Marlins Park in Miami, Florida, the site of the 2017 MLB All-Star Game. On July 5, the participants were announced. Aaron Judge won, becoming the first rookie to win the event outright.
The 2018 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby was a home run hitting contest between eight batters from Major League Baseball (MLB). The derby was held on July 16, 2018, at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., the site of the 2018 MLB All-Star Game. On July 11, the participants were announced. Bryce Harper was the winner, as he beat Kyle Schwarber, in the final 19–18, winning the derby in front of his hometown crowd. He tied Schwarber on the last pitch as time expired in regulation; then won it with 16 seconds left in bonus time.
The 2005 Century 21 Home Run Derby was a 2005 Major League Baseball All-Star Game event held at Comerica Park, the home field of the Detroit Tigers on July 11, 2005. The competition had eight competitors as usual and seven were eliminated over the course of three rounds. In honor of the inaugural World Baseball Classic, all the competitors represented their home countries, each representing a different country.
The 2019 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby was a home run hitting contest between eight batters from Major League Baseball (MLB). The derby was held on July 8, 2019, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH, the site of the 2019 MLB All-Star Game. In an effort to lure more big name players to the Derby compared to previous seasons, MLB increased the winner's prize to $1 million with the total pool money being increased to $2.5 million, up from $525,000 in 2018.
The 2021 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby was a home run hitting contest between eight batters from Major League Baseball (MLB). The derby was held on July 12, 2021, at Coors Field in Denver, CO, the site of the 2021 MLB All-Star Game.
