Breaking down the AFL Home Run Derby participants

The Arizona Fall League Home Run Derby returns to the desert when eight sluggers take the field at Salt River Fields tonight at 8:30 p.m. ET (6:30 p.m. MST). 

For this year’s format, eight participants will be placed in a single-elimination head-to-head bracket. Seeding is determined by the number of home runs they hit in the Arizona Fall League through Friday.

The event returns for its fifth installment in the Arizona Fall League. Previous champions include Robert Perez Jr. (2022 - Mariners), Kalai'i Rosario (2023 - Twins), Garrett Martin (2024 - Yankees) and Tony Blanco Jr. (2025 - Pirates).

Last year, Blanco -- a 6-foot-7, 243-pound right-handed slugger -- put on a jaw-dropping show, hitting one ball 122.9 mph and another that many said was the longest homer they'd ever seen.

Batting order: 

Preliminary Round: 1 minute, 30 seconds

1. Jack O’Dowd (Salt River Rafters)
2. Alex McCoy (Peoria Javelinas)
3. Brooks Bryan (Surprise Saguaros)
4. Antonio Anderson (Mesa Solar Sox) 
5. Eric Bitonti (Scottsdale Scorpions) 
6. Yerlin Confidan (Peoria Javelinas)
7. Aaron Parker (Mesa Solar Sox)
8. Tai Peete (Peoria Javelinas) 

Round 1: 9 outs

O'Dowd vs. Peete
McCoy vs. Parker
Bryan vs. Confidan
Anderson vs. Bionti 

Round 2: 9 Outs

O'Dowd/Peete vs. Anderson/Bitonti
McCoy/Parker vs. Bryan/Confidan

Final Round: 9 outs

Round 2 winners

Here's a look at the eight contestants: 

Antonio Anderson, INF, Mesa (Red Sox)
Boston’s 2023 third-round pick had a solid offensive campaign with nine homers and a .826 OPS for High-A Greenville. Anderson apparently packed some power in his suitcase en route to Arizona, having hit three homers in 15 games for Mesa. As of Oct. 27, Anderson had the third-highest exit velocity of the Fall League on a 115.2 mph homer. 

Eric Bitonti, 1B/3B, Scottsdale (MIL No. 26)
Bitonti is a proven commodity in the power department as he’s combined for 60 home runs over his first three full pro seasons. He set his career high with 25 in 2026 -- all of which came with High-A Wisconsin. He’s logged a pair of long balls for Scottsdale this fall -- his hardest of which left the bat at 110.3 mph. 

Brooks Bryan, C/OF, Surprise (Royals)
The 22-year-old played just 33 games of affiliated ball after being drafted in the eighth round in 2025. He launched 33 home runs over the course of his three-year college career. Bryan certainly heated up when he touched down in the desert with four home runs in just 10 games of Fall League action. He averages the league's third-best average exit velocity at 96.3 mph. 

Yerlin Confidan, OF, Peoria (Reds)
The Dominican-born outfielder is one of several contestants who recorded career years in the homer department in 2026. He tallied 15 long balls between High-A Dayton and Double-A Chattanooga. Confidan added a pair of Fall League blasts with a 1.053 OPS through 13 games with Peoria -- which features three participants in the Derby. His 98.5 mph average exit velocity leads the AFL and topped out at 116.7 mph.

Aaron Parker, C, Mesa (Blue Jays)
Parker has a pair of homers in Fall League play -- including a 451-foot blast. The Blue Jays' catching prospect slugged a career-best 19 home runs this season in this first double-digit homer campaign of his professional career. 

Alex McCoy, 1B/OF, Peoria (SD No. 26)
The Hofstra product flexed some muscle in his second pro season with 19 home runs -- eight more than his 2025 total. He’s been a breakout player in the desert with five homers and a 1.024 OPS in 14 games. McCoy owns the hardest-hit ball of the season when he barreled a 435-foot home run at 118.2 mph (!) off the bat. 

Jack O’Dowd, C/INF, Salt River (Rockies)
O’Dowd truly found his footing in 2026. After a massive season in independent ball with Billings in the MLB Partner League, O’Dowd swatted 23 home runs with a .946 OPS across three levels of the Rockies organization after Colorado signed him to a Minor League deal last winter. In Fall League action, O’Dowd has five home runs for a 1.031 OPS in 16 games. He topped out at 108.7 mph on a long ball. 

Tai Peete, SS/OF, Peoria (STL No. 17)
Peete has already socked a pair of long balls for Peoria after lofting 13 across three levels this season in the Cardinals system en route to a .908 OPS. St. Louis acquired him in a three-team trade with the Mariners and Rays in February, and he joins McCoy and Confidan as Peoria's representatives in the derby. His exit velocity topped out at 108.6 mph during the season.