The MLB All-Star break has arrived and the annual Home Run Derby is set to kick off the festivities this evening from Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. Some serious power will be on display as eight of the MLB’s top sluggers from various teams will compete for the right to call themselves this year’s Home Run Derby King.
Always a fan-favorite event of the MLB All-Star celebration, this year’s derby features some new rules bringing a twist to the competition. Before the events get underway this evening, let’s cover everything there is to know about the 2024 Home Run Derby betting odds including the full list of competitors, rules, the start time, and more.
2024 Home Run Derby odds: Pete Alonso is the favorite
Heading into the 2024 Home Run Derby at Globe Life Field, home of the Texas Rangers, the odds are very closely set. The current favorite to win the competition is Pete Alonso, first-basemen for the New York Mets. Alonso will be making his fifth consecutive Home Run Derby appearance, and he’s already won the trophy twice before (2019, 2021).
Here’s the full list of 2024 Home Run Derby odds, provided by DraftKings sportsbook.
- Pete Alonso (+320) - 1B, New York Mets
- Marcell Ozuna (+425) - DH, Atlanta Braves
- Gunnar Henderson (+425) - SS, Baltimore Orioles
- Bobby Witt Jr. (+425) - SS, Kansas City Royals
- Adolis Garcia (+600) - OF, Texas Rangers
- Teoscar Hernandez (+1100) - OF, Los Angeles Dodgers
- Jose Ramirez (+1400) - 3B, Cleveland Guardians
- Alec Bohm (+1800) - 3B, Philadelphia Phillies
Note: New users on DraftKings Sportsbook can claim the DraftKings promo code to bet $5 and get $150 in bonus bets instantly. In select states, the DraftKings welcome offer will scale up to $300 in bonus bets.
2024 Home Run Derby rules
This year’s Home Run Derby will feature some new rules keeping fans and competitors on their toes. It’s not a complete overhaul of the competition, but the new rules add a few exciting twists and turns to what fans have previously been accustomed to.
For starters, the competition has done away with setting tournament-style brackets in Round 1. Instead, the derby will feature all eight hitters competing against each other, with the top four scores advancing to the next round. Then, in that semi-final round, the hitters will be pitted against one another based on their seeding (number of Home Runs hit in Round 1).
Any ties at the end of Round 1 will be decided by the distance of the furthest home run hit in Round 1. In the Semi-Finals or Finals, the tiebreakers will be a 60-second swing-off, and if necessary, three-swing swing-offs.
Another new rule for this year’s Derby is the maximum pitch cap for each hitter in a round. For the first two rounds, each hitter will get three minutes or 40 pitches, and they can take one timeout. Then in the Finals, each hitter will get two minutes or 27 pitches maximum.
In previous years, hitters were granted an additional 30 seconds at the conclusion of their round. This year, they will get three bonus outs, and if they hit a home run of at least 425 feet, they will receive a fourth bonus out.
Home Run Derby start time and how to watch
The Home Run Derby will soon kick off this year’s MLB All-Star action as the league’s top players (as decided by fan/player voting) have descended upon Arlington, Texas for the celebration. The 2024 Home Run Derby will begin tonight, July 15, at 8:00 pm ET from Globe Life Field (Texas Rangers home stadium).
Fans and bettors alike can tune in to watch the Home Run Derby on various platforms including ESPN, ESPN+, YouTube, and fuboTV.
Best bet for 2024 Home Run Derby
Having already cranked 26 Home Runs on the season, there’s no mistaking why Atlanta Braves’ Designated Hitter Marcell Ozuna will be taking part in tonight’s competition. Sporting a .303 batting average in addition to his impressive power stats, it’s clear that Ozuna is one of the best pure hitters in baseball.
Perhaps the most encouraging stat in Ozuna’s favor for tonight’s Home Run Derby is that he is 13th in the MLB in average exit velocity (93.4 MPH). That number is the highest among any competitor in the 2024 Home Run Derby field, and could absolutely come into play with the new distance rules implemented for this year’s competition.
At a juicy (+425) tied for second-best odds on the board, I’m rolling with Ozuna to win the Home Run Derby tonight in Texas.
The pick: Marcell Ozuna (+425) - Atlanta Braves, DH
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