CHICAGO – Showing more thump than at any other point in his career, Red Sox cleanup hitter Willson Contreras has accepted MLB’s invitation to be a participant in the T-Mobile Home Run Derby.
With a right-handed swing tailor made for Fenway Park, Contreras has 20 homers in 306 at-bats, just shy of the career high of 24 he belted for the Cubs in 2019.
2026 T-Mobile Home Run Derby: July 13, 8 p.m. ET
• Set a reminder on Netflix (coverage begins 7 p.m. ET)
• Derby participants
• FAQ, including updated format
• Every team’s best HR Derby performance
• All-time Derby winners
The Derby will be held on Monday at Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park and will air live at 8 p.m. ET on Netflix.
On that stage, Contreras will attempt to become the second player in Red Sox history to win a Home Run Derby, and first since the legendary David Ortiz in 2010 at Anaheim.
This will be the first career Derby appearance for Contreras.
Contreras was added to the AL All-Star team on Tuesday as a replacement for Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
This the fourth All-Star appearance for Contreras and first since ‘22.
In his second full season as a full-time first baseman, the former catcher has thrived offensively with the chance to get more at-bats and with less physical strain on him every day.
At 34 years old, Contreras has thrived in his first season in Boston. His .921 OPS through Monday is on pace to be a career high and ranks third among AL first basemen, while his .284 average was best among that group.
While the Green Monster is clearly a good fit for Contreras, as evidenced by his .983 OPS at home, his homers have been equally distributed this season between home and the road.