The annual MLB Home Run Derby for 2025 is scheduled for Monday, and the lineup of eight participants has now been finalized.
Atlanta Braves outfielder, Ronald Acuña Jr., was the initial player to confirm his participation in the event, taking place at his home stadium, Truist Park in Atlanta. He will be accompanied by seven other prominent MLB power hitters in this highly anticipated event.
Athletics designated hitter Brent Rooker joined the field on Thursday before New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. filled in the final spot.
However, the participation of one of the confirmed players is uncertain. Twins All-Star outfielder Byron Buxton is currently listed as day-to-day after being hit by a pitch on Wednesday. As of Thursday, it was unclear if the injury would impact Buxton’s ability to participate in the Derby or the All-Star Game.
Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernández secured the Derby title last year, defeating Kansas City Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. in the 2024 final. However, he will not be defending his title this year.
Here’s a rundown of each participant competing in this year’s competition.
Who is competing in the 2025 MLB Home Run Derby?
Jazz Chisholm Jr., New York Yankees second baseman
Since joining the Yankees last summer, Chisholm has been performing well this year. The second baseman has recorded 17 home runs this season with a career-best .876 OPS, along with 43 RBI.
Chisholm is projected to exceed his stats from last year (24 HR and 73 RBI) by the end of the season, but first, he’ll be competing in the Derby. After being selected in 2022 while with the Miami Marlins, this year marks Chisholm’s second All-Star selection.
Brent Rooker, Athletics designated hitter
Rooker is a two-time All-Star, and he’s now vying for the Home Run Derby crown this year. The 30-year-old has started 80 games as the Athletics’ designated hitter this season, as well as 13 games in the outfield, eight in right and five in left.
Rooker’s current slash line is .270/.346/.489, accompanied by 19 home runs and 50 RBI this year. He is on track to achieve his third consecutive season with at least 30 home runs. Last year, he notched 39 dingers for the A’s.
Junior Caminero, Tampa Bay Rays third baseman
Caminero, 22, publicized his participation via Instagram, and his performance in his first full MLB season is validating the hype surrounding him as a prospect. The Rays’ third baseman has already gone beyond 20 home runs and will be on the AL All-Star roster as a substitute for the injured Alex Bregman.
Oneil Cruz, Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder
Cruz made his participation in the event known on Tuesday. The 26-year-old outfielder currently possesses the second-lowest home run count among all participants, but he might have the most suitable set of abilities for the event.
Cruz is a Statcast favorite, with rankings in the 100th percentile for bat speed, average exit velocity, barrel rate, and hard-hit percentage. He already holds the MLB record for hardest-hit ball with his 122.9 mph home run in May.
Byron Buxton, Minnesota Twins outfielder
Buxton shared on Instagram his intention to compete. The 31-year-old Twins outfielder has already surpassed his home run totals from the past two seasons and is on track for a career high. After participating in the Derby, he will represent the American League in his second All-Star Game.
“Going back home to do something like this is a once-in-a-lifetime thing,” Buxton, who was born in Georgia, stated. “I know I’m not going to play 30 more years for it to get back to Atlanta, so it’s that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that — I talked about it with some close people, guys on the team, friends, family, and everybody got excited. … They didn’t want me to pass up the opportunity.”
James Wood, Washington Nationals outfielder
The Nationals’ 6-foot-7 slugger is enjoying a breakout season, surpassing the 20-home-run milestone before the end of June. Wood, 22, was part of the Juan Soto trade, which brought a group of young prospects from the San Diego Padres to the Nationals.
Wood has posed such a significant offensive threat this season that on June 29, the Los Angeles Angels intentionally walked him four times. The last player to receive such an honor from an opponent was Barry Bonds in 2004.
Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners catcher
MLB’s home run leader is a Mariners catcher known as “The Big Dumper,” and he’s on track to shatter all his previous records and perhaps even challenge the AL home run record if his current form continues. It’s a magnificent sport.
With two consecutive 30-homer seasons and a Platinum Glove-winning defense behind the plate, Raleigh was among the most underestimated players in baseball heading into this season. However, by this point, even casual baseball fans should know his name, as he’s making a strong case to be considered one of baseball’s elite players, if he doesn’t already fit that description.
Ronald Acuña Jr., Atlanta Braves outfielder
The hometown crowd in Atlanta will have a hero to cheer for in Acuña, who has the fewest 2025 home runs of any player in the Derby field due to starting his season two months late following recovery from a torn ACL, which kept him out for much of 2024.
Since his return, Acuña has been performing well, and when healthy, he possesses 40-homer power. In 2023, he became the fifth player in MLB history to record 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a single season, earning him the MVP award. The Derby will provide him with a valuable opportunity to showcase to a national audience that he remains one of MLB’s most prominent stars.
What are the rules of the 2025 MLB Home Run Derby?
Following a decade of a conventional one-on-one tournament structure with timed rounds, MLB adjusted the format in 2024.
Rather than four matchups in the first round, last year, all eight hitters competed to reach the top four, with a restriction of 40 pitches over three minutes plus three bonus outs (where they keep hitting until they fail to hit a homer three times). The four advancing hitters were then seeded for the semifinal and final rounds, the latter of which involved two minutes and 27 pitches.
It’s an intricate format, but MLB is maintaining the same rules this year.
When is the 2025 MLB Home Run Derby?
The 2025 Home Run Derby, hosted at Atlanta’s Truist Park, will kick off at 8 p.m. ET on Monday, the day following the 2025 MLB Draft and the day before the 2025 MLB All-Star Game. As is tradition, the event will be broadcast on ESPN.
