MLB All-Star Home Run Derby 2023: Breaking down the sluggers - ESPN

It's almost time for the 2023 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby!

Spots for the most anticipated baseball event of the summer are filling up fast, and some of the biggest names in MLB will be taking aim at the T-Mobile Park bleachers on July 10 (8 p.m. ET on ESPN).

One participant is sure to be especially popular with the crowd in Seattle this year: Mariners star Julio Rodriguez. While Rodriguez fell short in the finals against Juan Soto last summer, he became the first slugger to record multiple 30-homer rounds in a single derby — and a little home cooking might be just what he needs to win this year's event.

Now that the field has been announced, we break down each player chosen — and his case for getting in the way of J-Rod's hometown coronation in the Emerald City.

2023 home runs: 13 | Longest: 454 feet

Why he could win: Soto outlasted him for the title last year in Los Angeles, but Rodriguez was clearly the star of the show as he belted long ball after long ball into the Hollywood air in front of a star-studded crowd. Rodriguez hit 32 home runs in the first round and 31 in the second round before running out of gas in the finals, so maybe he has learned to pace himself a little better this time around.

Why he might not: Rodriguez's sophomore season hasn't been quite on the level of his huge rookie year, when he won the American League Rookie of the Year Award. The Mariners outfielder has gone deep once every 25.7 at-bats this season, a pretty steep decline from his rate of a home run every 19.1 ABs last season.

2023 home runs: 12 | Longest: 450 feet

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