Mets Rookie Pete Alonso, Pittsburgh Slugger Josh Bell Favored to Win 2019 MLB Home Run Derby

Posted on: July 8, 2019, 11:11h. 

Last updated on: July 8, 2019, 11:11h.

Steve Bittenbender Read More
Expertise: Legislation, Sports Betting, Horse Racing.

Major League Baseball starts its All-Star Break on Monday with one of its most popular events: The Home Run Derby.

New York Mets rookie slugger Pete Alonso smashes one of his 29 homers during the first half of the season. He’s one of the favorites to win the Home Run Derby Monday in Cleveland. (Image: Kamil Krzaczynski/USA TODAY Sports)

Eight players will step into the batter’s box at Cleveland’s Progressive Field. They’ll face off in a single-elimination tournament format, with the winner walking away with a $1 million prize.

The players looking to go deep early and often are: Oakland’s Matt Chapman, Pete Alonso of the New York Mets, Pittsburgh’s Josh Bell, Houston’s Alex Bregman, Joc Pederson of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta’s Ronald Acuna Jr., Cleveland’s Carlos Santana, and Toronto’s Vlad Guerrero Jr.

Chapman was announced as a replacement on Sunday for Christian Yelich. The Brewers slugger hit a league-leading 31 homers during the first half of the season. However, he felt his back tighten up over the weekend, prompting him to pull out of the contest.

“Always been a dream but unfortunately things don’t always go your way and I’m not physically able,” Yelich posted on Twitter Sunday. “I’m sorry if anybody was let down but I hope to be apart (sic) of it again at some point in the future.”

Yelich has been listed as the favorite to win the Derby at FanDuel Sportsbook, listing him over the weekend at +350, with Bell the second choice at +400. At DraftKings and the Westgate SuperBook, Yelich was the second choice, +375 and +400 respectively, to Bell, who was +300 and +350 respectively.

As of Sunday night, Bell’s odds remained the same at the SuperBook, even with Yelich’s departure. The new second choice is Guerrero, one of the game’s most highly touted rookies in recent memory, at +450.

Three Books Favor Alonso

Alonso, a rookie himself, is the favorite at both PointsBet and now FanDuel, at +325 and +350 respectively as of Monday morning. His lowest odds, though, are at William Hill, which lists him as the favorite at +300, with Bell at +350.

The Mets slugger, like other contestants, took a couple of rounds of practice last week to get ready for Monday’s primetime event, which ESPN will broadcast starting at 8 pm ET.

Today was money,” he told reporters last Tuesday. “I feel like we’ve got a really good chance at winning this thing.”

In addition to futures betting on the Derby winner, several sportsbooks are offering odds on the four first-round matchups.

FanDuel lists Alonso, over the hometown favorite Santana, and Bell, over Acuna Jr., at -185, compared to both Santana and Acuna Jr. at +150 to advance past the first round. Pederson is -145/+105 over Bregman, and Guerrero is -150/+115 over Chapman.

PointsBet lists Bell/Acuna Jr. at -190/+150, Alonso/Santana at -170/+135, Pederson/Bregman at -150/+120, and Guerrero Jr./Chapman at -150/+115. William Hill lists Bell/Acuna Jr. at -180/+160, Alonso/Santana at -160/+140, Pederson/Bregman at -140/+120, and Guerrero/Chapman at -130/+110.

MLB Offers Free Contest

While residents in nine states currently have the chance to bet legally on sports, either online or in a sportsbook, Major League Baseball is offering a free NCAA March Madness-style contest where someone could walk away with $250,000.

MLB’s 2019 HR Derby Bracket Challenge calls on entrants to correctly pick the four first-round winners, the two finalists, the overall winner, the player who hits the longest home run in the Derby, and the distance of that shot.

The contest is limited to one entry per person. It is open to residents 18 or older in the US and Canada, except for Quebec.