In the past few days, there were some rumors about New York Yankees outfielder Giancarlo Stanton taking part in this year’s edition of the Home Run Derby.
He would have been a nice addition to the roster: he is the premier MLB hitter for exit velocity, and he is a past winner, having taken the 2016 edition.
However, MLB has already named all participants, and Stanton is not on the list.
“MLB announced its eight participants in this year’s Home Run Derby. Giancarlo Stanton is not one of them,” The Athletic’s Lindsey Adler tweeted.
MLB announced its eight participants in this year’s Home Run Derby. Giancarlo Stanton is not one of them.
— Lindsey Adler (@lindseyadler) July 14, 2022
Ronald Acuna Jr., Albert Pujols, Kyle Schwarber, Juan Soto, Julio Rodriguez, Pete Alonso, Corey Seager, and Jose Ramirez will be the eight players vying to become 2022’s home run king.
The Yankees Are Probably Not Unhappy Stanton Is Not Participating
Stanton took home the 2016 Derby by defeating Todd Frazier, who won the 2015 edition, 20-13 in the final round and hitting a total of 61 dingers.
He hasn’t been an active participant after that.
He has developed a reputation as an injury-prone player, and the last thing everybody wants is for him to get hurt at the Derby.
The Yankees’ front office, coaching staff, and especially fans probably prefer Stanton to limit his All-Star participation to the game itself, to be played on Tuesday.
He is expected to be one of the starting outfielders there.
There is a myth that the Home Run Derby has the potential to alter a hitter’s swing, affecting it for the second half.
That’s what it is: a myth, as there haven’t been many known cases.
But in this case, the Yanks are probably happy Stanton declined the invitation because of a rest thing.
A Home Run Derby requires a lot of stamina and focus, and they probably prefer him to rest, play a few innings in the All-Star Game, and recharge batteries for the second half.
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