The Homerun Derby starts tonight at 7 pm on ESPN. There are changes in the format this year, but I can’t explain them to you, since I have never payed close enough attention to know the way it used to be. That said, I am going to watch this year, mainly to see whether Giancarlo Stanton does anything amazing. Yoenis Cespedes and Yasiel Puig will also be there, but I am too bitter to fully appreciate their work.
I can’t be the first one to suggest this, but wouldn’t it be a better event if they mixed in a few prospects? I have to think that having Joey Gallo, Javier Baez, and Kris Bryant involved would make it more interesting for everyone. Batting practice sessions at the Futures Game have practically become a religious experience for prospect watchers, as the kids dial it up for the bigger crowds than they are used to as well as the dozens of scouts in attendance.
J.J. Cooper broke down where they landed in the BP sessions over at Baseball America to facilitate comparisons with this evening’s festivities. Gallo actually broke the windshield of the Chevy Silverado that will serve as the Grand Prize for tonight’s winner, which is a delightful metaphor.
People are taking photos of the broken windshield like it is a shrine. Maybe it should be in Texas one day. pic.twitter.com/QpxH21YS8i
— JJ Cooper (@jjcoop36) July 13, 2014
Baez hit a few big shots, but as Cooper pointed out, Target Field’s setup better highlights the work of lefties.
