Home Run Derby Best Bets: Kyle Schwarber, Julio Rodriguez, and a FREE $200
The 2022 MLB Home Run Derby is set to begin in just under an hour at 8PM ET from Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
New York Mets’ Pete Alonso will be looking to win his third home run derby in a row tonight. He ranks sixth in home runs with 24 and leads all qualified hitters with 78 RBI. Standing in his way will be a tough first round matchup against NL East Rival Ronald Acuna Jr.
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MLB Home Run Derby R1 MATCHUPS & ODDS
| PLAYER | ODDS | R1 MATCHUP |
| Pete Alonso | +155 | Ronald Acuna Jr |
| Kyle Schwarber | +290 | Albert Pujols |
| Juan Soto | +400 | Jose Ramirez |
| Ronald Acuna Jr | +750 | Pete Alonso |
| Julio Rodriguez | +775 | Corey Seager |
| Corey Seager | +1100 | Julio Rodriguez |
| Jose Ramirez | +1700 | Juan Soto |
| Albert Pujols | +2500 | Kyle Schwarber |
Bet Kyle Schwarber vs Albert Pujols
If you’re looking for the best first round bet, Kyle Schwarber against Albert Pujols is the best on the board. Schwarber has crushed a National League-best 29 home runs in 90 games. He ranks fourth among all qualified hitters in xSLG (.637), fifth in ISO (.295), sixth in average exit velocity (93 mph) and eighth in hard-hit rate (52.5%). Schwarber’s elite barrel rate (21.7%) ranks second behind only Aaron Judge.
If none of those advanced stats make sense to you, that’s okay. We have watched Schwarber mash baseballs all season long and now he’s set to face Albert Pujols, who is by far the easiest first round matchup out of anyone competing tonight given the fact that he was a late legacy add to the derby.
The Long Shot: Julio Rodriguez, Mariners +750
A lot of people are ignoring Julio Rodriguez and I think that’s a big mistake. He’s one of the hottest hitters in baseball and enters tonight slashing .275/.337/.477 with 16 home runs in 91 games. The Seattle Mariners rookie hit eight home runs over his last 24 games, tied for fifth-most in the MLB and second behind none other than Kyle Schwarber (11).
