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Home Run Derby bracket 2025: Full list of contestants, odds, predictions for the winner

The 2025 Home Run Derby will be held on Monday, July 14 and is arguably the most exciting event of the baseball season, outside of the World Series, and it is projected to be full of fireworks. 

Truist Park will play host to the 2025 All-Star Weekend events, including the Derby. It is generally considered a hitter’s park, with more preference given to left-handed batters. This will be the second time that the All-Star events have been held in Atlanta, but the first time that Truist Park will host the Home Run Derby. 

MLB will crown a new Derby champion in 2025 as none of the eight competitors have ever won the event before. In fact, only the hometown hero Ronald Acuna Jr. has competed in a Home Run Derby before, joining the field in both 2019 and 2022. The rest of the field will be rounded out by James Wood, Cal Raleigh, Junior Caminero, Oneil Cruz, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Brent Rooker and Byron Buxton. 

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Here is more on the format of the 2025 MLB Home Run Derby, including contestants, odds and predictions. 

MORE: Ranking the 13 greatest Home Run Derby performances in history

2025 MLB Home Run Derby format

The MLB keeps tinkering with the Home Run Derby format, knowing that it is one of the sport’s most exciting events of the entire year. They have tweaked the timing of rounds and even had the players face off in an elimination bracket in the past. 

This year, the MLB is continuing with last year’s format, which went away from the first-round bracket. All eight competitors will come to the plate in the first round, not in a head-to-head format. They will get three minutes or up to 40 pitches, whichever comes first. At the end of the timed round, each batter will get three bonus outs that aren’t timed. Batters can earn a bonus fourth out by hitting a home run at least 425 feet in the first part of the round. 

Once every batter gets a chance to swing, the top four home run totals will advance to the second round. This is where MLB still uses its bracket, head-to-head format. The No. 1 batter from the first round will take on the No. 4 hitter, and then the No. 2 and No. 3 will also duke it out. The second round has a two-minute timer, or a max of 27 pitches. The bonus round of three outs and a possible fourth still applies. 

The two winners from the second round will meet in the finals. The final round of the derby will also utilize the two-minute timer with a max of 27 pitches and the bonus round. 

MORE: Looking back at the longest blasts in Home Run Derby history

2025 MLB Home Run Derby contestants

With the All-Star Weekend festivities taking place in Atlanta, Olson is the hometown hero this year after Ronald Acuna Jr. bowed out due to a back injury. It will be Olson’s second appearance and first as a Brave as he tries to become the fourth player to win in his home stadium.

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Wood is only 22 years old and is making his first appearance in the MLB All-Star Game and Home Run Derby. He is the third Nationals player to compete in the event, with the other two, Bryce Harper and Juan Soto, having Derby wins under their belts. 

Raleigh has been the talk of the town in 2025. He has been mashing the ball and leads the major leagues in home runs with 36 at the time of this writing. Raleigh has already set the record for the most home runs by a Mariner before the All-Star break and the most home runs by a catcher before the break. This is the first Derby appearance for the switch-hitting catcher. 

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Junior Caminero is the fourth Rays player in the franchise’s history to compete in the Derby, and is hoping to become the first winner. Caminero and Wood also have the chance to become the youngest winners of the Derby in history. 

Oneil Cruz will be the seventh Pirates player to participate in the Derby and is trying to become the team’s first winner. There is a lot of excitement around him because earlier this year, he broke his own record for highest exit velocity in the Statcast era. 

MORE: Complete list of every Home Run Derby winner by year

Jazz Chisholm Jr. was the last participant announced for the Derby. The Yankees already have the record with four Derby winners in Tino Martinez, Jason Giambi, Robinson Cano and Aaron Judge. 

Brent Rooker has been named an All-Star for the second time in his three-year career, but this will be his debut at the Derby. Ten Athletics players in franchise history have participated in the Home Run Derby, and a win by Rooker would help the A’s tie the Yankees for the most by a single team in history. 

Byron Buxton will also be participating in his first Home Run Derby. The Twins outfielder hopes to become the franchise’s second-ever winner, joining Justin Morneau, who won the 2008 Home Run Derby. 

MORE: Breaking down the Home Run Derby records

2025 Home Run Derby predictions

Teddy Ricketson (@TeddyRicketson): This is an interesting group participating in this year’s Home Run Derby. Acuna is likely the most accomplished in the field, but Raleigh is having the best 2025 season. Cruz could definitely hit the hardest home run of the Derby, but don’t count out the smaller Chisholm, especially if he brings his torpedo bat with him.

As a Braves fan, I am going to be pulling for Acuna to light up the Atlanta night with home run after home run. Unfortunately, though, I think James Wood wins. As a Nationals player, many people may not be familiar with him. Wood is 6-foot-7 and in his first full big league season with Washington. He has unreal power, and the ball is going to sound different coming off his bat. He is likely to put on a show, provided he doesn’t let the moment overwhelm him and lose his composure.
Winner: James Wood. 

Dan Treacy (@DanTreacyASN), Daniel Mader (@DanielMader_):
Winner: James Wood

MORE: Why did Ken Griffey Jr. wear his hat backwards at the Home Run Derby?

2025 Home Run Derby odds

Cruz is the favorite to win the Home Run Derby at +310. He is followed by Raleigh, Wood and Olson. Cruz barely edges out Raleigh. Interestingly, the switch-hitting catcher has the second-best odds. He could do something similar to Adley Rutschman and switch sides of the plate for some fun, which could end up hurting his chances of winning. Jazz Chisholm Jr. has the longest odds of winning installed at +1400.

All odds courtesy of BetMGM.

  • Oneil Cruz: +310
  • Cal Raleigh: +360
  • James Wood: +475
  • Matt Olson: +550
  • Byron Buxton: +900
  • Brent Rooker: +900
  • Junior Caminero: +1000
  • Jazz Chisholm Jr.: +1400

MORE: Odds, betting favorites, best bets for Home Run Derby

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