My Dream Mile High Home Run Derby Lineup
A week and a half into the 2021 baseball season already has me drooling over the thought of a home run derby at Coors Field in Colorado. We've seen some huge bombs already and some pretty sick pimp jobs too. That got thinking about the Home Run Derby and who I want to see mash balls in Coors this summer. Last time the derby was a mile high it was back in 1998 and we had some decent names participating. Jim Thome, Rafael Palmeiro, Alex Rodriguez, Ken Griffey Jr, Mark McGwire, Chipper Jones, Javy Lopez, I mean these are some big boppers. Got me all hot and bothered brainstorming who could be in the derby this year so I tried to pick a few of the big names that I hope we'll see this summer.
Ronald Acuña Jr.
Kind of a no brainer here, Acuña Jr. is one of the hottest hitters on the planet. 4 bombs on the season and his aim is a 40/40 season. I'd love to see him in a derby, especially in Colorado. The thin air up there, those balls are going to fly off his bat. The worst part is there isn't time for Ronnie to bat flip or pimp in-between his homers, thats the best part of his homers. Still think he'd put on a show up there.
Juan Soto
Give me the Childish Bambino in Colorado hitting TANKS into the wayyyy upper deck in Coors. Need that strong, sweet swinging lefty to get it up there. Always ridiculous launch angle on his homers, he would be so much fun to watch. If MLB had a brain they'd market the shit out of him when he is there too, because he'll be in the All Star Game, let him show out in the derby too.
Shohei Ohtani
Need I say more? Ohtani has been a monster this season and so fun to watch with the bat. Give me 115 MPH off the bat in that thin air, give me the mic'd up homers, give it all to me. Watching him pepper the upper deck with baseballs would be fantastic. Have to have the global icon of baseball in the derby.
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Giancarlo Stanton
Regardless of what he's hitting at the time of the derby, based on strength alone Stanton has to be there. He'd hit it up and over the concourse in Colorado. We saw the power display he put on in San Diego a few years back, Colorado would not be the same after Stanton showed up in the derby. Just some old fashioned raw power and that violent swing would make for a great show.
Mike Trout
Duh. Best player in baseball. Need him there. That's it.
Yordan Alvarez
Maybe pound for pound the strongest person in baseball. He's an absolute freak who can hit the baseball a far, far way. This homer I put above probably goes out of the stadium if it's in Colorado. I mean look how far that thing goes. His power + the altitude would be a deadly combination. Need to see him on the big stage mashing.
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Luis Robert
If Eloy Jimenez was healthy I'd probably put him here but instead I'll go with Robert because he's such a stud. I know he only has the 1 homer on the year and Mercedes is making all the headlines in Chicago but I still need a Lou Bob home run derby appearance. He would put on a show and a half, believe me. He'd be a household name after what he would do in that air up there. They have a snack type thing in deep left, and I bet he'd hit 20 balls over it, that is how strong this guy is. Big Robert fan.
Christian Yelich
Gotta include Yelli in here, former MVP hasn't gotten on the board yet this season but you know he's going to get hot and hit about 8 in a week. He was really shitty last year and you know he's eager to get that bad taste out of his mouth. He'd have a ton of people rooting him on to bring it home too, he'd have to put on a good performance. You'd hope he would just dive right into it and go to town. Prob send those balls way out there in right into deck #2. Hope we get to see him perform.
Joey Gallo
Talk about a guy who is country strong and would physically hurt baseballs, it's Joey Gallo. I still think about the home run he hit in the Futures game back in Minnesota a few year back. He has the ability to put balls where they've never been before, I'd love to see that at Coors. The lefty swing plays there, especially in the derby. I just want to see him take BP there, it would be magic. I'm really hoping we get to see a fully packed lefty lineup mashing balls up there, but Gallo has to be in it. Those are the rules.
I could honestly name a few more guys, Pete Alonso, Judge, Trey Mancini, Nolan Arenado, Cody Bellinger, Vladdy Jr, but I didn't want to go on and on and on. Regardless this derby will be a memorable one. Going to be tape measure shots hit and balls put places you didn't think they could go. Did I miss anyone? Who do we need to see inserted into this HR Derby lineup?