2022 MLB Home Run Derby: Ranking the Six Known Contestants, Including Julio Rodriguez

2022 MLB Home Run Derby: Ranking the Six Known Contestants, Including Julio Rodriguez

We officially know six of this year's Home Run Derby contestants as Seattle's Julio Rodriguez announced on Wednesday that he would also be taking part in the festivities.

Julio Rodriguez is the youngest contestant in the Home Run Derby field, which is something considering it features Juan Soto and Ronald Acuna Jr.

There are no Home Run Derby odds yet, so we figured it was time to rank all the Home Run Derby contestants from six through one. Who will be the No. 1 name on our list? Let's take a look to find out.

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2022 MLB Home Run Derby Participants Ranking

6. Albert Pujols

Yeah, 90-year-old Albert Pujols was always going to be last on this list. It would be a feel-good story to see Pujols come in and give these young guns a run for their money in the 2022 Home Run Derby. However, I don't see how he will maintain the endurance needed to win it. What I will say is that his first-round opponent may be in some trouble as he goes out there and tries to do a victory lap at the mid-summer classic. Froget his .219 averae so far this season as it's not really relevant, but his six homers on the season are probably cause for concern.

5. Ronald Acuna Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. is the best pure baseball player on the list. However we're not playing baseball here, we're hitting dingers. Since coming back from injury, Acuna has struggled to find his power stroke. He has just eight home runs so far and his .433 slugging percentage is 100 points lower than his career average. If he was fully healthy and coming into the All-Star break on a tear, that would be one thing. However, that's not the case so Acuna gets the No. 5 spot for this year's 2022 Home Run Derby power rankings.

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4. Julio Rodriguez

The newcomer. The Mariners' top prospect has torn the cover off the baseball in his first season in The Bigs. So far, Rodriguez has hit 15 home runs this season and has shown significant pop for such a slender frame. The addition of Rodriguez brings even more hype to such a loaded field. We'll be seeing a lot of Rodriguez as he builds his MLB career. The 2022 Home Run Derby could be his coming out party on a national stage.

3. Juan Soto

Juan Soto is having a similar season to that of Robert Acuna Jr. He's a fantastic player but the power numbers just haven't been there. Here's the thing about that for Soto, and even Acuna, I'm not sure that matter. These guys are basically taking batting practice in front of a sold out crowd. Soto has the raw power and has performed in this event before. So, he gets our No. 3 spot in our Home Run Power ranking.

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2. Kyle Schawrber

Do you know how hard it was for me not to out Kyle Schwarber in the No. 1 spot? It took extreme discipline on my part. So, whenever you get a chance, make sure you congratulate me on being unbiased here. He may not be the No. 1 contestant in this year's Home Run Derby, but he's having by far the best season out of anyone. Schwarber currently leads the NL in home runs with 28 and is just two behind MLB leader Aaron Judge. He hits the ball a mile and does so with a tight, compact swing. Schwarber will put on a show when he steps into the box, the issue is our No. 1 contestant is a proven Home Run Derby winner.

1. Pete Alonso

Pete Alonso may never win a World Series but at least he'll have his Home Run Derby trophies. Okay, that was my one shot at the Mets. In all seriousness, Alonso should walk away with this and quite easily ranks as the best Home Run Derby contestant in this year's event. Not only is Alonso a great Home Run Derby competitor, but he's having a fantastic year, hitting 23 home runs to this point. There are no Home Run Derby odds yet, but when they come out if he's anything other than odds-on, hammer it. Alonso in a landslide at the 2022 Home Run Derby