Marcell Ozuna has a chance to be the Atlanta Braves very first Home Run Derby Champion on Monday night. Ozuna will take on a stacked field of power-hitting competitors. Here’s how to watch, which players will participate, and why we think Ozuna can take the crown.

How to watch the 2024 Home Run Derby

The 2024 Home Run Derby will be on ESPN at 8 PM EST on Monday, July 15th. The Derby will take place in Arlington, Texas at Globe Life Field, the home of the 2024 All-Star Game.

2024 Home Run Derby Rule Changes

• There will be no head-to-head matchups in the first round this year.
• The four players with the most homers will advance to the semi-finals. Seeding will be determined by the number of homers each player hit in the first round.
• If there is a tie in the first round, the tie-breaker will be determined by who had the longest home run.
• The time limits of three minutes in the first two rounds and two minutes in the final round will remain this year. However, this year there will also be a 40-pitch maximum in the first two rounds. This does not apply to the bonus period.
• Bonus periods will still be earned by hitting two balls 440+ feet in a round. There will no longer be a timer for the bonus periods. Each player will get three outs. If a player hits a bonus ball 425 feet or more then they will get one additional out in the bonus period.
• The semi-finals will be “knockout style,” meaning one player will need to win three spearate one-on-one matchups in order to win the Home Run Derby.

Take: We might be overcomplicating this. The average viewer tuning in is going to have a hard time following all of these rules… Actually, I might have a hard time following all of this.

Also Read: Why MLB Expanded Postseason Format Sucks

2024 HR Derby Participants

1. Gunnar Henderson, BAL – 28 home runs
2. Marcell Ozuna, ATL – 26 home runs
3. Jose Ramirez, CLE – 23 home runs
4. Teoscar Hernandez, LAD – 19 home runs
5. Pete Alonso 1B, NYM – 19 home runs
6. Adolis García, TEX- 17 home runs
7. Bobby Witt Jr., KCR – 16 home runs
8. Alec Bohm, PHI – 11 home runs

Betting Favorites to Win 2024 HR Derby

1. Pete Alonso 1B, NYM: +340
2. Marcell Ozuna, ATL: +400
3. Bobby Witt Jr., KCR: +475
4. Gunnar Henderson, BAL: +500
5. Adolis García, TEX: +500
6. Teoscar Hernandez, LAD: +950 
7. Jose Ramirez, CLE: +1300
8. Alec Bohm, PHI: +1600

3 Reasons Marcell Ozuna can win the 2024 HR Derby

1. Ozuna has more HRs than any other derby participant since the May 1st of last year.

Marcell Ozuna is in rare air when you look back to May 1st of last season. Ozuna trails only Shohei Ohtani (66) and Aaron Judge (65) in home runs. Ozuna is right on their tails with 64. He is one of just four players to have 60+ homers since May 1st of last season. Some of his opponents in the HR Derby are not too far behind with Pete Alonso clocking in with 54 and Gunnar Henderson blasting 53. Adolis Garcia has 48 and Jose Ramirez is the next closest with 44.

HR Derby Contestants HRs since 05/01/23:

1. Marcell Ozuna – 64
2. Pete Alonso – 54
3. Gunnar Henderson – 53
4. Adolis Garcia – 48
5. Jose Ramirez – 44
6. Bobby Witt Jr. – 42
7. Teoscar Hernandez – 38
8. Alec Bohm – 28

2. Ozuna Leads all HR Derby contestants in exit velocity

Marcell Ozuna can always be found hanging around the top of the leaderboard in average exit velocity. This year, he is 13th in average exit velocity with a 93.4 mph average. Bobby Witt Jr. is right on his tail at 92.6 mph. Adolis Garcia is third-highest ranked contestant with 91.5 mph.

Ozuna also leads his fellow participants in no-doubters.

3. Marcell Ozuna has one easiest power strokes in baseball

Ozuna doesn’t have a lot of hitch in his swing. It’s a short stroke that utilizes quick hands. He generates momentum by shifting his body weight but barely moves his hands. Ozuna’s swing is like the opposite of a guy like Bryce Harper. When you think about Harper you think about the extreme separation his hands get from his front foot (not that there is anything wrong with that… obviously).

Ozuna keeps his hands damn near their starting position and just explodes with momentum from his legs and hips. It’s really efficient for one of the most powerful swings in the game. Despite being the oldest player in the Derby at 33, he has a chance to keep his stamina thanks to his easy power stroke.

The video below gives you a side view of the Ozuna’s power stroke. You see a lot of similarities in Acuna’s swing.

If Ozuna wins the HR Derby he will be the first Atlanta Braves player to do so.

Also Read:

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• 8 Most Hated Braves of Past 30 Years
• Atlanta Braves Top 5 Free Agent Signings in Franchise History
• 1995 Atlanta Braves Top 5 Hitters
• Atlanta Braves Freddie Freeman Profile