Carlos Iván Beltrán is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder from 1998 to 2017 for the Kansas City Royals, Houston Astros, New York Mets, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees, and Texas Rangers. A right-handed thrower and switch hitter, Beltrán stands 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) tall and weighs 215 pounds (98 kg).
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. In the context of the competition a "home run" 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 the Home Run Derby, all pitches are purposefully thrown slowly and at a closer range than the official 60 feet 6 inches (18.44 m) distance, usually by a coach behind a pitching screen. In addition, like batting practice, the batter remains in the batter's box after each swing and does not run, nor circle the bases to score a run. In 2023, Julio Rodríguez set the single-round home run record with 41 homers, topping Vladimir Guerrero’s 40 home runs in 2019.
David Allen Wright is an American former professional baseball third baseman who spent his entire 14-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the New York Mets. Chosen by the Mets in the 2001 MLB draft, he made his MLB debut on July 21, 2004 at Shea Stadium. Wright was nicknamed "Captain America" after his performance in the 2013 World Baseball Classic where he led the tournament with 10 RBI and a .438 batting average.
Robinson José Canó Mercedes is a Dominican-American professional baseball second baseman for the Diablos Rojos del México of the Mexican League; he also captains the Estrellas Orientales of the Dominican Professional Baseball League. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, New York Mets, San Diego Padres, and Atlanta Braves.
Adrián González Savín, also known by his nicknames "A-Gon" and "Titán", is a Mexican-American former 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 Guardians 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 former professional baseball outfielder. 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 split between left and center field on the Mets. A right-hand batter and fielder, he stands 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m) tall and weighs 220 pounds (100 kg).
Pedro Manuel Álvarez Jr., nicknamed "El Toro", is a Dominican-American former professional baseball designated hitter and infielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Baltimore Orioles.
Todd Brian Frazier, nicknamed "The Toddfather", is an American former professional baseball third baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds, Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, New York Mets, and Pittsburgh Pirates from 2011 to 2021. Frazier was an MLB All-Star in 2014 and 2015.
Carlos Eduardo González, nicknamed "CarGo", is a Venezuelan former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a outfielder from 2008 to 2019, most prominently as a member of the Colorado Rockies where, he was a three-time All-Star player and the 2010 National League (NL) batting champion. González also won three Gold Glove Awards and a two Silver Slugger Awards during his tenure with the Rockies.
Mark Daniel Trumbo is an American former professional baseball outfielder and first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Arizona Diamondbacks, Seattle Mariners, and Baltimore Orioles. Trumbo was an All-Star in 2012 and 2016.
The 2016 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 87th edition of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. The game was hosted by the San Diego Padres and was played at Petco Park on July 12, 2016. It was televised nationally on Fox. The American League All-Stars defeated the National League All-Stars by a score of 4–2 to win home field advantage for the 2016 World Series. This was also the last time home-field advantage for the World Series was determined by the outcome of the All-Star Game.
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.
Kristopher Lee Bryant, nicknamed "KB", is an American professional baseball third baseman and outfielder for the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants. Prior to playing professionally, Bryant attended the University of San Diego, where he played college baseball for the Toreros.
Michael Anthony Taylor is an American professional baseball center fielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Washington Nationals, Kansas City Royals and Minnesota Twins. Taylor was drafted by the Nationals in the sixth round of the 2009 MLB draft, made his MLB debut with them in 2014, and was a member of the 2019 World Series championship team. He won a Gold Glove Award and Fielding Bible Award in 2021.
Maxwell Steven Muncy is an American professional baseball third baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played college baseball for the Baylor Bears. He was selected by the Oakland Athletics in the fifth round of the 2012 Major League Baseball draft. He played in MLB for the Athletics in 2015 and 2016 and later joined the Dodgers in 2018.
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.
Peter Morgan Alonso, nicknamed "Polar Bear", is an American professional baseball first baseman for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2019.
Jeffrey Todd McNeil, nicknamed "Squirrel" or "Flying Squirrel", is an American professional baseball utility player for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB). In 2022, he started the All-Star game at second base, won the MLB Batting Title and the Silver Slugger Award.
The 2019 New York Mets season was the franchise's 58th season and the team's 11th season at Citi Field. Despite improving on their 77–85 campaign from last year by 9 games with an 86–76 record, they were three games behind the Milwaukee Brewers for a wild card spot and thus missed the playoffs for the third consecutive season. Their division rival, the Washington Nationals, went on to win the World Series.
