Bryce Harper, Jesus Aguilar Among Stars To Compete In 2018 Home Run Derby

Washington National outfielder Bryce Harper and Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Jesus Aguilar are among the many players competing in this year’s Home Run Derby.

Home Run Derby 2018 Participants

The 2018 Derby will be held at Nationals Park on Monday night.

Harper, the No. 2 seed in the event, will compete against seventh seed Freddie Freeman of the Atlanta Braves. Harper reached the Derby final in 2013 but lost to Yoenis Cespedes.

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“It should be fun. I’m hoping the fans are excited for him and he gets nervous and gets a zero,” Freeman, who won the most votes in the National League for Tuesday’s All-Star Game, told ESPN. “But we’ll see what happens.”

Aguilar, the top seed, will play Philadelphia’s Rhys Hoskins (the No. 8 seed) in the opening round.

Also facing of in the first round will be sixth-seeded Chicago Cubs second baseman Javier Baez and No. 3 seed Max Muncy, a Los Angeles Dodgers infielder. Fourth-seed Alex Bregman, a third baseman for the defending World Series champion Houston Astros, and fifth-seeded Cubs outfielder Kyle Schwarber will also compete in Round 1.

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New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge won last year’s Home Run Derby as a rookie. Cleveland Indians third baseman Jose Ramirez was reportedly invited to compete in this year’s derby, although he turned down the opportunity to focus on other things.

“I sat down with the team and we made a decision, all of us together, and we just decided it wasn’t the best thing for me to do at this time,” Ramirez told ESPN on Wednesday night following his team’s 19-4 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. “It’s a long season. I’m a player that plays every day and I need to save energy for the second half and, God willing, the playoffs as well.”

ESPN’s baseball crew picked Harper, Baez and Schwarber to win this year’s derby.

Article by Pablo Mena