The first half of the Major League Baseball season is in the books, which means it's time to turn our attention to the best All-Star event in sports: the MLB Home Run Derby. The event takes place at Truist Park at 8 p.m. ET on Monday, July 14; it will be broadcast on ESPN.
The Home Run Derby field features the following eight players — seven of whom are All-Stars (except for Oneil Cruz):
- Cal Raleigh (C, Seattle Mariners)
- James Wood (OF, Washington Nationals)
- Byron Buxton (OF, Minnesota Twins)
- Oneil Cruz (SS, Pittsburgh Pirates)
- Jazz Chisholm Jr. (2B, New York Yankees)
- Junior Caminero (3B, Tampa Bay Rays)
- Brent Rooker (OF, Athletics)
- Matt Olson (1B, Atlanta Braves)
Ronald Acuña Jr. was originally slated to participate in the event, but was scratched for precautionary reasons due to back tightness he's been dealing with.
Olson, who was born in Atlanta, replaced Acuña as the Braves' hometown representative. Olson is also the only participant who has competed in the HR Derby before; he participated in 2021 when he was a member of the Oakland Athletics.
Below, we'll get into Home Run Derby odds for numerous markets — including outright winner, distance of longest homer, number of first-round home runs, total homers and more — plus the Derby rules and format.
2025 MLB Home Run Derby Odds (Outright Winner)
Player | 2025 HR Count | Odds |
---|---|---|
Cal Raleigh (Mariners) | 38 | +255 |
Oneil Cruz (Pirates) | 16 | +320 |
James Wood (Nationals) | 24 | +400 |
Matt Olson (Braves) | 17 | +650 |
Brent Rooker (Athletics) | 20 | +700 |
Byron Buxton (Twins) | 21 | +850 |
Jazz Chisholm Jr. (Yankees) | 17 | +1000 |
Junior Caminero (Rays) | 23 | +1000 |
Odds via DraftKings
Home Run Derby Rules
The Home Run Derby will consist of three rounds: Round 1, semifinals, finals.
The eight contestants will have three minutes or 40 pitches to hit as many homers as possible in the first round. Following this portion of the round is a bonus period in which contestants get three outs to work with. If a contestant launches a HR of at least 425 feet during this bonus period, he gets a fourth out.
The four players with the most home runs advance to the semifinals. In the event of a tie, the longest home run distance will be the tiebreaker.
In the semifinals, the event switches to No. 1 vs. No. 4 and No. 2 vs. No. 3 — this seeding is determined by the number of home runs hit in the first round. In this round (and the finals), the four contestants will only have two minutes or 27 pitches.
The tiebreaker in the semifinals and finals is different — players will partake in a 60-second swing-off to determine who advances (or wins the competition). If there's still a tie after the swing-off, there will be a three-swing swing-off until someone wins.
Home Run Props by Player
Cal Raleigh
Total First-Round Home Runs
Over 20.5 (-115) | Under 20.5 (-115)
Distance of Longest HR
Over 455.5 ft (-115) | Under 455.5 ft (-115)
James Wood
Total First-Round Home Runs
Over 19.5 ( -115) | Under 19.5 (-115)
Distance of Longest HR
Over 460.5 ft (-115) | Under 460.5 ft (-115)
Matt Olson
Total First-Round Home Runs
Over 17.5 ( -110) | Under 17.5 (-115)
Brent Rooker
Distance of Longest HR
Over 440.5 ft (-115) | Under 440.5 ft (-115)
Byron Buxton
Total First-Round Home Runs
Over 17.5 (-115) | Under 17.5 (-115)
Jazz Chisholm Jr.
Distance of Longest HR
Over 439.5 ft (-115) | Under 439.5 ft (-115)
Junior Caminero
Total First-Round Home Runs
Over 16.5 mph (-115) | Under 16.5 mph (-115)
Distance of Longest HR
Over 440.5 ft (-115) | Under 440.5 ft (-115)
Home Run Derby Event Props
Total Home Runs Hit
Over 232.5 (-115) | Under 232.5 (-115)
Total First-Round Home Runs
Over 139.5 (-135) | Under 139.5 (+105)
Distance of Longest Home Run
Over 479.5 (-120) | Under 479.5 (-110)
League of HR Derby Winner
American League (-105) | National League (-125)
Prop odds via Caesars Sportsbook