Where is the 2023 MLB Home Run Derby?
The All-Star Game is a mid-summer classic. The Home Run Derby is held the night before the game. There is no defensive play and batters choose their respective pitchers.
The Seattle Mariners were awarded the 2023 All-Star festivities. T-Mobile Park will be the venue for the Home Run Derby. The park has a reputation for being pitcher-friendly.
The contest has undergone several format changes throughout its existence. In the current arrangement, batters go head-to-head with another contestant, crushing as many long fly balls as they can in three minutes. The winner of the matchup advances until a lone batter is left standing.
The reigning champion Juan Soto hit 27 home runs in the first half of the season in 2022. His slugging percentage dropped from .497 to .387 after the break. Pete Alonso's home run total dropped to 23 after winning the competition in 2019. Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Todd Frazier saw a decrease in their home-run numbers after their respective wins. Bryce Harper improved his numbers since winning in 2014.
National League players have won six of the previous seven Home Run Derby. Alonso became the third player to win consecutive titles.
The Mariners have a stable of young, talented players who could claim victory at home. Eugenio Suarez, Cal Raleigh, and Ty France all had 20 or more home runs last year. Julio Rodriguez is the reigning AL Rookie of the Year.
