MLB Has To Invite James Wood To Do The Home Run Derby. BONUS - My Picks For The Derby Field

Orlando Ramirez. Getty Images.

If you haven't been paying attention to James Wood by now, you're missing out. This kid is doing to be a flat-out stud, future MVP winner in my eyes, he's a true star in the making for the Nats. Maryland boy who was drafted by the Padres and shipped to DC in the Juan Soto trade and to be honest, the Nats may have gotten the better outfielder in that trade. All Wood has done since coming up last season is hit bombs. 22 homers at the age of 22, the 6'7 Wood will hit 50 one day, will say that's for sure going to happen. This guy has "face of the league" potential too, if you can't tell by now, I'm a massive fan. When thinking of guys you want to see in the home run derby, he's got to be #1 on everyone's list. We've seen Judge do it, we've seen Ohtani do it, we've seen Schwarber do it, baseball needs to let the world watch James Wood put on a fucking show. 

Every single night it seems like he's doing something incredible, more times than not he's hitting one 440+ and like 110 MPH off the bat. The Nats are way behind in their rebuild, but man do they have a hell of a building block with Wood. MLB needs to show this guy off the entire All-Star week, include him in as much as you can. He should 100% be the Nats lone All-Star pick, even with a super crowded outfield. Make this guy an even bigger star by including him in the derby, will guarantee that he hits multiple homers clear over The Chop House out there in right, no doubt about it. This is a layup for baseball, I don't know who makes the picks but Wood has to be included. Home run derby should be what the dunk contest was, a way to give casual fans an introduction into some young talented guys that they may not be that familiar with. Casual baseball fans that don't eat, live, and breath baseball probably don't know how special this guy is, they have a chance to find out in the derby. He's just heating up too, 10 homers in his last 30 games. Show the fans what a stud this guy is, put him in the derby. 

Now that I'm done drooling over Wood, let's talk the rest of the field. I'd love to see Aaron Judge and his 28 homers in the derby, but he probably won't. Same goes for Ohtani and Schwarber, guys I'd love to see do it again but highly doubt they do it again right now. So who can fill out the rest of the field? I'd love to watch Eugenio Suarez and his 25 homers would be fun if he didn't just get hit, I assume he won't do it. I'm also fully expecting baseball to have Matt Olson do it to represent for the Braves, but MLB has plenty of other big boppers they can include, here's who I'd love to see hit mile long taters in Atlanta.

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Cal Raleigh - 32 Homers

Will be the starting catcher in the AL, is making the AL MVP race an actual thing, and is having a career year. Going absolutley insane at the plate, he's hitting homers every single night. We're talking a Sammy Sosa type June. Another layup for baseball to have him in the derby, he almost has to do it since he's leading the league. 

Pete Crow-Armstrong - 21 Homers

Kind of echoing what I said about Wood down here, PCA is a fucking spark plug. He's flat out awesome. Hits bombs, makes insane catches, snags every base, paints stars in his hair, he's awesome. Big time power too, just ask the scoreboard at Wrigley. Another guy who will eat up The Chop House in Atlanta, he's a shoo in if you ask me.

Junior Caminero - 19 Homers

Man do the Rays have eyes for talent, they always end up with guys like this. Caminero very quietly has hit some monster homers this season. 21 years-old and he's murdering the ball. In the 100% for bat speed on Baseball Savant, he's a very fun player who's having a hell of a breakout year. 

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Pete Alonso - 18 Homers

Duh. 

Byron Buxton - 17 Homers

WHEN healthy, he's one of the more talented players in baseball. And when he's healthy you can usually find him trotting around the bases because he's hitting another ball over 450 feet. Insane speed at his age and still hitting mammoth homers, 479 a few weeks back, he's usually a beat up guy but man would it be fun to watch hit balls in the derby. 

Christian Yelich - 15 Homers  

This is likely the final chance we have to see if this HR derby bet with PMT and Yelich will go down, he's getting up there in age but has the power going this year. If we want to see Big Cat and PFT eat each others ass, this is our shot.

Tyler Soderstrom - 14 Homers 

Give the A's some love MLB, let us watch Soderstrom hit more lefty tanks. He started off the season super hot and has seen his power cool off a little but he'd be a fun watch in a derby.

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Few other guys deserve to be there, Suzuki in Chicago has over 20, Riley Greene could be fun in a derby and showcase the Tigers and their season, Jo Adell's power has finally shown up and he can send them a lonnnng way, I'd love for Manny to do one and showoff his power, and does MLB throw Devers in a Giants jersey for us? They've got a deep pool of guys to choose from, but I will be very disappointed if James Wood isn't hitting bombs in Atlanta for all of America to see. MLB has to find a way to get these young, powerful stars involved in these events and show the baseball world how good they are. That's my handpicked field for ya, will be hard to top those.