Major League Baseball announced the participants for the 2016 Home Run Derby on Thursday, with Baltimore Orioles outfielder and leading MLB home run hitter Mark Trumbo headlining the field as the No. 1 seed.
MLB's official Twitter account released the bracket, which also features second-seeded Todd Frazier of the Chicago White Sox, who won the event last year as a member of the Cincinnati Reds:
The following is a rundown of the participants for Monday's event at Petco Park in San Diego:
This year's Derby will be a single-elimination tournament in which home run totals do not carry over from one round to the next.
Each player will have four minutes per round to take as many swings as possible, but a contestant will receive 30 seconds of bonus time if he hits two home runs that each travel 440 feet or more in a given round. Those in the first round and the semifinals are granted one 45-second break, and those in the finals can take two 45-second breaks.
Frazier will face Colorado Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez in the first round as he looks to defend his crown, and he is looking forward to the challenge:
Seattle Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano is a former Home Run Derby champion as well. He will take on Miami Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton in perhaps the most intriguing matchup of the first round.
The bonus-time rule figures to be in play for Stanton, as the wild-card entrant has made a living of hitting long homers in recent years, per ESPN Stats & Info:
San Diego Padres outfielder Wil Myers figures to receive plenty of attention too as the home team representative at Petco Park. He'll face Reds upstart Adam Duvall, who is set to make his first career appearance in the All-Star Game.
Home-park advantage hasn't led to many winners over the course of Home Run Derby history, however:
Trumbo may be the favorite as the top power hitter in the league this season, but a No. 8 over No. 1 upset could be in store as he takes on young Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager.
Things would have been quite interesting had the MLB Players Association allowed San Francisco Giants ace and stealth power hitter Madison Bumgarner to take part. But the bracket concept still figures to keep things intriguing from start to finish.
The best performer hasn't always won the Home Run Derby in the past because of the manner in which the competition was handled. But the bracket rewards consistency, and that should result in an undisputed winner being crowned.
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