Complete field of participants set for 2025 T-Mobile Home Run Derby
Two-time All-Star Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the New York Yankees will complete the field of eight competitors at the 2025 T-Mobile Home Run Derby, it was announced earlier this evening on ESPN’s Home Run Derby Preview Show. Chisholm joins previously announced sluggers Ronald Acuña Jr. of the host Atlanta Braves; Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins; Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays; Oneil Cruz of the Pittsburgh Pirates; Major League Baseball’s home run leader Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners; Brent Rooker of the Athletics; and James Wood of the Washington Nationals. The 2025 T-Mobile Home Run Derby on Monday, July 14th at Truist Park in Atlanta will be broadcast live by ESPN and ESPN2 beginning at 8:00 p.m. (ET).
Each of the eight participants will hit in the first round for up to 3:00 minutes or up to 40 balls, whichever comes first. At the end of the timed round, each hitter will receive a minimum of three bonus outs, and a fourth bonus out may be achieved by hitting a home run of at least 425 feet during the bonus swings. The top four home run totals will advance to a seeded and bracketed semifinal matchup (3 vs. 2; 4 vs. 1) in which each hitter will bat for up to 2:00 minutes or up to 27 balls. The two semifinals winners will meet in the final round, which will also last for up to 2:00 minutes or up to 27 balls. The same bonus rules will apply for all three rounds and hitters will also be given one timeout per round.
Acuña, who was selected to his fifth career All-Star Game and is participating in his third career Derby (also 2019, 2022) will match Hall of Famer Chipper Jones (1997-98, 2000) for the most appearances in the Derby by a Braves player. Overall, the Braves have had 11 different players compete in the event a total of 14 times and have never had a Home Run Derby Champion. In addition to Acuña and Jones, other Braves to compete in the Derby include Dale Murphy (1985); Ozzie Virgil (1987); David Justice (1993); Hall of Famer Fred McGriff (1994); Javy Lopez (1998); Gary Sheffield (2003); Andruw Jones (2005); Freddie Freeman (2018); and Marcell Ozuna (2024). Acuña’s appearance will mark the 27th by a player from the host team and it will be the 11th Derby in the last 12 years to feature a hometown slugger. Only Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg (1990), Todd Frazier (2015) and Bryce Harper (2018) have won the competition in their home ballpark. Acuña, who has 11 home runs since making his season debut on May 23rd, will attempt to become just the second native of Venezuela to win the event, following Bobby Abreu’s victory in 2005.
Raleigh leads the Majors with 36 home runs, which surpassed Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. (35) for the most homers by a Mariners player before the All-Star break and set a new record for first-half homers by a catcher. Raleigh, headed to his first career All-Star Game, will compete in the Derby for the first time in his career and he will become the eighth different Mariners players to participate in the event (16th Seattle appearance overall). Among Seattle competitors, Raleigh will join Griffey (1990, 1992-94, 1997-99); Jay Buhner (1996); Alex Rodriguez (1998); Hall of Famer Edgar Martinez (2000); Bret Boone (2001, 2003); Robinson Canó (2016); and teammate Julio Rodríguez (2022-23). Raleigh is aiming to join Griffey (1994, 1998-99) as the only Mariners to win the competition. In addition, Raleigh will be the 11th different catcher to hit in the Derby (13th time overall) and he will attempt to become the first catcher to win the event.
Buxton, who has 20 homers on the season, will participate in the Derby for the first time in his career during his second trip to the Midsummer Classic. The Georgia native will become the eighth Twins hitter to slug in the Derby (ninth appearance overall), joining Tom Brunansky (1985); Gary Gaetti (1989); Torii Hunter (2002); Justin Morneau (2007-08); Hall of Famer Joe Mauer (2009); Brian Dozier (2014); and Miguel Sanó (2017). Buxton will attempt to join Morneau (2008) as the only Twins to ever win the event.
Caminero, who will hit in his first career Derby, is tied for third in the AL with 22 homers. The first-time All-Star will become just the fourth Rays player to compete in the event and he is bidding to become Tampa Bay’s first Derby Champion. Other Rays to partake in the Derby include Evan Longoria (2008); Carlos Peña (2009); and Randy Arozarena (2023). The Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic native and fellow D.R. native Cruz are each attempting to become the eighth native of the D.R. to win the competition, and the fourth straight Derby winner with Dominican ties following wins by Juan Soto in 2022, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in 2023, and Teoscar Hernández in 2024. At 22 years old, Caminero and his fellow 22-year-old Derby competitor Wood are both attempting to eclipse 23-year-old winners Ruben Sierra (1989), Juan Gonzalez (1993) and Soto (2022) as the youngest winner in the history of the event.
Chisholm, now a two-time All-Star, will compete in the Derby for the first time in his career after hitting 17 home runs thus far in 2025. The Nassau, Bahamas native will become the seventh different Yankees hitter to participate in the Derby (10th appearance overall), joining Tino Martinez (1997); Jason Giambi (2002-03); Nick Swisher (2010); Robinson Canó (2011-13); teammate Aaron Judge (2017); and Gary Sánchez (2017). Chisholm is bidding to become the fifth Yankees slugger to win the event along with Martinez, Giambi, Canó and Judge. The Yankees are already the only franchise to claim four Derby victories.
Cruz has launched 16 homers on the season en route to his first career Derby appearance. The 26-year-old, who is bidding to become the first Pittsburgh slugger to win the Derby, will become the seventh Pirates player overall to participate in the annual showcase, joining Bobby Bonilla (1990); Barry Bonds (1992); Jason Bay (2005); teammate Andrew McCutchen (2012); Pedro Alvarez (2013); and Josh Bell (2019).
Rooker, who is headed to the Midsummer Classic for the second time in three seasons, will participate in his first career Derby. The 30-year-old, who has 19 homers on the season, will become the 10th player in A’s history to partake in the event, and overall, it will be the 16th appearance by an A’s player, which ranks third-most in history behind Baltimore (18) and Toronto (17). Rooker will join former A’s participants Jose Canseco (1986, 1990); Mark McGwire (1987, 1990, 1992, 1996-97); Ruben Sierra (1994); John Jaha (1999); Jason Giambi (2001); Yoenis Céspedes (2013-14); Josh Donaldson (2014); Matt Chapman (2019); and Matt Olson (2021). Rooker will aim to join McGwire and Céspedes (twice) as Athletics to win the event, and with a win, the A’s would match the Yankees for the most Derby victories with four all-time.
Wood, who ranks fifth in the NL with 24 homers on the season, is headed to the Midsummer Classic for the first time in his career. The 22-year-old will become just the third Nationals player to compete in the event, joining Bryce Harper (2013, 2018) and Juan Soto (2021-22). Following wins by Harper in 2018 and Soto in 2022, Wood will attempt to make the Nationals just the fifth team to have at least three different players win the Derby, joining the Yankees, Angels, Reds and Cubs.
During the annual showcase, the Derby participants will be wearing specially designed All-Star-specific uniforms that pay tribute to Hall of Famers Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth as the dates of the Home Run Derby (7/14) and All-Star Game (7/15) represent an iconic moment in the game’s history when Aaron surpassed Ruth’s career home run total with his 715th career homer on April 8, 1974. In recognition of two of the sport’s most prolific power hitters, NL All-Stars will wear Aaron’s jersey number 44 while AL All-Stars will sport Ruth’s jersey number 3 throughout Gatorade All-Star Workout Day and during the T-Mobile Home Run Derby.
“I just saw the date of the Home Run Derby, and knew that the game was in Atlanta again, and thought it would be special to honor not only Hank, but Babe, in that way,” MLB Special Assistant to the Commissioner and 2025 Hall of Fame Inductee CC Sabathia, who developed the idea and spearheaded the effort, told ESPN.com earlier this week. “We’d be doing ourselves a disservice to not do the storytelling. Especially behind Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Atlanta. The history of our game, you know, we have so many opportunities to tell stories and just with the date and the number, I thought it would be so cool to tell this one.”
For more information about MLB All-Star Week, including ticket information and updates, please visit allstargame.com and follow @MLB on social media.
2025 T-Mobile Home Run Derby Rules
Batting Order and Bracket:
In the first round, all eight participants will hit in an order determined by the Office of the Commissioner.
The four batters with the most home runs in the first round will advance to a single-elimination second round bracket.
The bracket shall be seeded based on the first-round home run totals, with ties broken by awarding the higher seed to the batter with the longest home run in the first round (i.e., the batter with the most home runs in the first round will be seeded against the batter with the fourth-highest home run total). Any tie thereafter shall be broken by a coin flip.
The player with the higher seed in any given bracket shall have the option of hitting first or second in that round.
Scoring and Advancement:
Home runs shall be counted toward a batter’s total score, and any swings or hits that result in anything other than a home run shall not be counted.
Ties in the first round will be broken by longest home run hit in that round (e.g., if two players are tied for the fourth-most home runs, the player with the longest home run advances to the second round). Ties in the second or third round shall be broken by the batters engaging in successive three-swing swing-offs until there is a winner.
In the second or third round, once the second batter in a bracket hits one more home run than the first batter in that bracket, the second batter shall be declared the winner of that bracket and shall not attempt to hit any additional home runs.
Length of Rounds:
For the first round, each batter shall have up to 3:00 minutes or be pitched up to 40 balls, whichever ends first, to hit as many home runs as possible.
For the second round (semi-finals) and third round (finals), each batter shall have up to 2:00 minutes or be pitched up to 27 balls, whichever ends first, to hit as many home runs as possible.
The timer will count down beginning with the release of the first pitch.
A home run shall count provided the pitch was released before the timer strikes zero. Timers will be placed in appropriate places on and off the field, with certain timers clearly visible to the batter.
In all rounds, including the final round, each batter shall have the right to call one “time out” per round (no time outs during bonus periods).
Bonus Period:
All batters will be awarded three “outs” following the Regulation Period of each round.
An out is defined as any swing that does not result in a home run.
A batter will be awarded an additional out if he hits at least one home run that equals or exceeds 425 feet in the Bonus Period of that round.