The Home Run Derby is scheduled to take place Monday night, on the eve of the 2022 Major League Baseball All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium.
Eight sluggers will swing for the fences in Los Angeles, with the winner landing a $1 million paycheck and, of course, bragging rights for the rest of eternity.
Pete Alonso already has some bragging rights, having won the Home Run Derby two times in a row. He's looking to join Ken Griffey Jr. as the only three-time champions -- and the first player to win the competition in three straight years.
It won't be easy. Alonso faces a stacked field at Chavez Ravine. But the New York Mets first baseman is the betting favorite to secure the crown, a feat that'll require him to outlast a fascinating blend of young stars and accomplished veterans.
The Home Run Derby is a single-elimination, bracket-style tournament. Seeds are determined by the participants' 2022 home run totals (through July 13), with tiebreakers determined by 2021 totals.
Kyle Schwarber of the Philadelphia Phillies is the tourney's No. 1 seed, with Alonso checking in at No. 2 on the other side of the bracket.
Here's a look at each first-round matchup:
No. 1 Kyle Schwarber (Philadelphia Phillies) vs. No. 8 Albert Pujols (St. Louis Cardinals)
No. 2 Pete Alonso (New York Mets) vs. No. 7 Ronald Acuña Jr. (Atlanta Braves)
No. 3 Corey Seager (Texas Rangers) vs. No. 6 Julio RodrÃguez (Seattle Mariners)
No. 4 Juan Soto (Washington Nationals) vs. No. 5 José RamÃrez (Cleveland Guardians)
The winner of the Schwarber-Pujols matchup will face the winner of Soto-RamÃrez. The winner of Alonso-Acuña will face the winner of Seager-RodrÃguez. From there, the last two sluggers will meet in the finals.
It should be an entertaining event, as the new clock format has reinvigorated the contest in recent seasons and this year's competition has no shortage of studs. The action is set to begin at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
