Home Run Derby Game
# of Players: 2
It might surprise you to hear that one of my favorite annual events to watch is the MLB Home Run Derby. Even though this event is seemingly quite repetitive and sometimes difficult to see the complete path of the ball, I love it! My friend Brian and I created a game years ago which makes watching this event exciting! I have competed against him for the past decade and several others through the years including fantasy baseball expert Paul Sporer.
The Draft
We use a simple snake draft format. How to determine who drafts first is up to you. You can use a coin flip, age, bank account, fantasy baseball standings, etc. to determine who picks first. Often, my friend will defer the first pick to me knowing that getting 2 of the top 3 hopefully will improve his odds of winning more than trying to pick the 1 winner out of the 8 competitors.
In 2023, I selected two-time champion Pete Alonso with the first overall pick hoping that he would deliver a third win. Brian proceeded to pick newbie Mookie Betts (LAD) followed by 2022 HR Derby runner-up Julio Rodriguez (SEA) with his first two picks (1.2, 2.1). I followed up his two picks with Vlad Guerrero (TOR) followed by #1 ranked Luis Robert (CHW). Brian proceeded to select Adley Rutschman (BAL) followed by Adolis Garcia (TEX). This allowed me to select 5th ranked Randy Arozarena (TB) with the final selection. Based on the rankings (number of home runs hit to that point in the season), Brian chose #3, #4, #7, and #8 leaving me with #1, #2, #5, and #6. We have played this game for many years knowing that these rankings are irrelevant in determining the final outcome. If you keep reading, you will quickly see that for yourself.
| Pick | Player | Manager |
|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | Pete Alonso | Jeremy |
| 1.2 | Mookie Betts | Brian |
| 2.1 | Julio Rodriguez | Brian |
| 2.2 | Vlad Guerrero, Jr. | Jeremy |
| 3.1 | Luis Robert | Jeremy |
| 3.2 | Adley Rutschman | Brian |
| 4.1 | Adolis Garcia | Brian |
| 4.2 | Randy Arozarena | Jeremy |
The Scoring
Each home run is worth 1 point. Hitters that advance to Round 2 are awarded a 20-point bonus. Hitters that advance to Round 3 are awarded a 30-point bonus. The winner is awarded a 50-point bonus.
Round 1
Jeremy’s Team
| Player | Points from HRs | Bonus Points | Total Points |
| Alonso | 21 | 0 | 21 |
| Guerrero | 21 | 20 | 41 |
| Robert | 22 | 20 | 42 |
| Arozarena | 24 | 20 | 44 |
| Total | 88 | 60 | 148 |
Brian’s Team
| Player | Points from HRs | Bonus Points | Total Points |
| Betts | 11 | 0 | 11 |
| Rodriguez | 41 | 20 | 61 |
| Rustchman | 27 | 0 | 27 |
| Garcia | 17 | 0 | 17 |
| Total | 96 | 20 | 116 |
Alonso let me down, losing by 20 to JRod (21 – 41). That was the bad part of the old format. A player like JRod could wear himself out with a record setting performance in the first round and have very little to show for it in the final results. Since JRod went first, he gave it his all. Alonso just couldn’t keep up. I don’t know if anyone would have, to be honest. Robert gave me a victory over Rutschman (28-27) even though Rutchman made history by being the first participant to hit a home run from both sides of the plate. Betts looked like he did not belong in this competition, only knocking 11 home runs out of the park. Vlad Guerrero, Jr. had no trouble doing better than that, winning 26-11 and advancing to the second round. Much to our surprise, Arozarena proved to be the better former Cardinal defeating Garcia 24-17 giving me three of the final four participants in the competition.
Round 2
Jeremy’s Team
| Player | Points from HRs | Bonus Points | Total Points |
| Alonso | – | – | – |
| Guerrero | 21 | 30 | 51 |
| Robert | 22 | – | 22 |
| Arozarena | 35 | 30 | 65 |
| Total | 78 | 60 | 138 |
Brian’s Team
| Player | Points from HRs | Bonus Points | Total Points |
| Betts | – | – | – |
| Rodriguez | 20 | – | 20 |
| Rustchman | – | – | – |
| Garcia | – | – | – |
| Total | 20 | – | 20 |
At this point, I had three of the four remaining participants. Brian was left with J. Rod, one capable of great things falling by one home run the year before. However, the energy he used during round one with his 41 home runs was likely to be an issue in the long run. In his second round, J Rod was only able to muster 20 home runs. While not a bad score, Vlad (who hit second) had no trouble eclipsing that count advancing with a 21-20 victory. In the other matchup, Arozarena continued to surprise us defeating Robert 35-22. Since I had both competitors, the final result did not matter since I already had the 30-point bonus penciled in for having a player advance to the finals.
With two rounds complete, let’s get a score update!
| Team | Jeremy | Brian |
| Round 1 | 148 | 116 |
| Round 2 | 138 | 20 |
| Total | 286 | 136 |
Round 3 (Final Round)
Jeremy’s Team
| Player | Points from HRs | Bonus Points | Total Points |
| Alonso | – | – | – |
| Guerrero | 25 | 50 | 75 |
| Robert | – | – | – |
| Arozarena | 23 | – | 23 |
| Total | 48 | 50 | 98 |
Arozarena’s run came to an end in the finals. Vlad competed first putting up 25 home runs. Arozarena made a good run at it, but fell two home runs short, losing 25-23.
Brian’s Team
| Player | Points from HRs | Bonus Points | Total Points |
| Betts | 18 | 0 | 18 |
| Rodriguez | 19 | 50 | 46 |
| Rustchman | – | – | – |
| Garcia | – | – | – |
| Total | 37 | 50 | 87 |
Final Scores
| Team | Jeremy | Brian |
| Round 1 | 148 | 103 |
| Round 2 | 138 | 20 |
| Round 3 | 87 | – |
| Total | 373 | 123 |
2023 Home Run Derby Bracket
Just to show you that I don’t always win, I am linking this article to the article that I wrote last year explaining this game.
The Winner
Final score: Jeremy 373, Brian 136.
We typically just play for pride, but you could certainly play for higher stakes – a beer, dinner, $20, etc.
The Strategy
You might notice that in last year’s draft, both Brian and I drafted two players that were scheduled to play each other in the first round. You are allowed to do this and it is a strategy to consider using. This guarantees that you have at least 1 hitter advancing to the second round. If possible, try to figure out who is throwing the player the pitches. We have found that age matters. If a player chooses his father or a former coach, that’s likely not going to benefit them in the long run since it is such a long competition. Fatigue is likely to set in.
2024 Participants
- Pete Alonso, 1B, Mets
- Alec Bohm, 3B, Phillies
- Adolis Garcia, OF, Rangers
- Gunnar Henderson, SS, Orioles
- Teoscar Hernandez, OF, Dodgers
- Marcell Ozuna, DH, Braves
- Jose Ramirez, 3B, Guardians
- Bobby Witt, Jr., SS, Royals
2024 Rules Updates
All eight participants will play round one with the top four advancing. This will help competitors avoid using needless energy to advance and create a more level playing field for the finals.
If there is a tie in the first round, the tie will be broken by the seedings, not by a pitch off. Again, this should help players conserve energy for the finals.
There is a maximum of 40 pitches per round. This means the better skilled player will advance, not the one who has a pitcher capable of quick pitches.
At the conclusion of each round, participants will be given three bonus outs. They will be granted an additional out if they hit a 425-foot home run. I like this change. This is reminiscent of the old rules.
2024 Prediction
I am officially predicting that Alonso will win his third title. I think that Gunnar Henderson will be there with him in the finals. I think that Teoscar Hernandez and Marcell Ozuna will be the other semifinalists.
Concluding Thoughts
Reach out to me on Twitter (@JeremyGibbs2) and let me know what you think of this game. I would love to hear your stories playing the game against your friends. If you want to challenge me, hit me up! Just remember Yogi Berra’s quote, “You don’t have to swing hard to hit a home run. If you got the timing, it’ll go.”
