The only certainty heading into the 2023 MLB Home Run Derby is that Juan Soto will not be defending his 2022 title after beating Julio Rodriguez in the final
While Soto is out of this year’s event, Rodriguez is hoping for an encore performance, this time in his home park. His competition will be stiff. In the first round, he’ll be taking on two-time champion Pete Alonso, who is looking to tie Ken Griffey Jr. for the most wins in the derby. And of course, there’s plenty of power elsewhere in the field.
MORE: Watch the Home Run Derby live with Fubo (free trial)
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who had an incredible 2019 performance, is making his return to the swing-off. He’ll take on first-time competitor Mookie Betts in Round 1. Randy Arozarena and Adolis Garcia are on the other side of the bracket, along with No. 1 seed Luis Robert and Adley Rutschman.
In other words, it’s a loaded field.
The Sporting News is tracking the tournament live, providing updates and highlights as they happen at T-Mobile Field in Seattle. Follow along below.
MORE: Jump to the latest HR Derby bracket results
MLB Home Run Derby live updates, highlights from 2023 HR contest
(All times Eastern)
8:40 p.m. — Rutschman calls time a minute and a half in sitting at what feels like a healthy nine. He is swinging lefty trying to go to right, and despite what’s been some really good contact, he’s under some pitches.
8:39 p.m. — Adley Rutschman will be taking on Luis Robert in the next round, with the Orioles slugger making his first appearance. He is raking to start.
8:35 p.m. — It looks like Garcia is going to come up short, as Arozarena advances with a score of 24-17. Randy strikes a pose and he’ll take on the winner of Robert-Rutschman.
8:33 p.m. — Garcia is swinging over a lot of pitches right now, and Garcia needs eight with the last 30 seconds to catch up to Arozarena. He will not have the 30-second bonus.
8:30 p.m. — Garcia takes a timeout with 1:26 left and 10 home runs. His pace is fairly similar to Arozarena’s, just slightly off it. Nothing at 440 feet yet, however.
8:29 p.m. — Garcia absolutely hits rockets. His swing is silky. A while away from 24 home runs but solid first minute with five.
8:27 p.m. — Arozarena has regrouped and he’s putting some good swings on with his extra 30. He adds another seven to the board, and this is going to be a challenge for Garcia, another fist-timer.
The Randy Man mashes 24 homers in his first #HRDerby appearance. pic.twitter.com/sg5r0kNCjE
— MLB (@MLB) July 11, 2023
8:25 p.m. — The swing has gotten short, and Arozarena finishes at 19 home runs with another 30 seconds on the clock. He doesn’t get the additional 30, but he will be able to regroup with Adolis Gracia lurking.
8:24 p.m. — Arozarena has really liked them down and in, and he is raking a few of these pitches. Still nothing at 440 but he is at 17 homers with 30 seconds left.
8:22 p.m. — Arozarena takes his timeout a minute and a half in, halfway. He doesn’t have the 30-second bonus from hitting two 440-footers, but he does have 10 home runs to show for it. Solid start for Randy.
8:21 p.m. — Arozarena’s first one came about 25 seconds in and he has a rhythm. He’s at six a minute in.
8:20 p.m. — Randy Arozarena and Adolis Garcia will be the first matchup, three minutes on for Arozarena to start.
8:17 p.m. — After a LOT of fanfare, we’re about ready to get started in Seattle. It’s a characteristically cloudy day over T-Mobile Park.
8:08 p.m. — The contestants are out and introduced, and Iam Tongi is out to sing the national anthem.
Your 2023 #HRDerby field. 💪 pic.twitter.com/l5wef6oJGX
— MLB (@MLB) July 11, 2023
8:02 p.m. — The Griffey party continues with a Macklemore tribute.
7:57 p.m. — The picks from the broadcast are in, and they’re all over the place. Notably not picked is the Polar Bear, Pete Alonso, to win his third and tie Griffey’s record.
7:50 p.m. — Baseball Tonight has already featured Ken Griffey Jr. How much is Julio Rodriguez going to play to the home crowd? Will he rock a backwards hat? The Mariners slugger has been a bit down this year, but this could be an environment in which he could thrive.
7:25 p.m. — Welcome to the 2023 Home Run Derby from T-Mobile Park in Seattle! This year features some sluggers of years past, including two-time winner Pete Alonso, last year’s runner-up Julio Rodriguez, and 2019 superstar Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Mookie Betts is making his first appearance, while former Cardinals Adolis Garcia and Randy Arozarena face off in the first round.
Home Run Derby bracket 2023
Home run totals overall
| Seed | Batter | HRs | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luis Robert | — | — |
| 2 | Pete Alonso | — | — |
| 3 | Mookie Betts | — | — |
| 4 | Randy Arozarena | 24 | — |
| 5 | Adolis Garcia | 17 | — |
| 6 | Vladimir Guerrero Jr. | — | — |
| 7 | Julio Rodriguez | — | — |
| 8 | Adley Rutschman | — | — |
MORE: Explaining the MLB Home Run Derby rules and format
Round 1 results
Luis Robert vs. Adley Rutschman
| Seed | Batter | HR total |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luis Robert | — |
| 8 | Adley Rutschman | — |
Pete Alonso vs. Julio Rodriguez
| Seed | Batter | HR total |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Pete Alonso | — |
| 7 | Julio Rodriguez | — |
Mookie Betts vs. Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
| Seed | Batter | HR total |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Mookie Betts | — |
| 6 | Vladimir Guerrero Jr. | — |
Randy Arozarena vs. Adolis Garcia
| Seed | Batter | HR total |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Randy Arozarena | 24 |
| 5 | Adolis Garcia | 17 |
Round 2 results
TBD vs. TBD
| Seed | Batter | HR total |
|---|---|---|
| TBD | TBD | — |
| TBD | TBD | — |
TBD vs. TBD
| Seed | Batter | HR total |
|---|---|---|
| TBD | TBD | TBD |
| TBD | TBD | TBD |
Final results
| Seed | Batter | HR total |
|---|---|---|
| TBD | TBD | TBD |
| TBD | TBD | TBD |
What time is the Home Run Derby?
Coverage of the Home Run Derby starts at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN2 with “Baseball Tonight” and “Baseball Tonight, Statcast Edition,” respectively. The derby itself will begin at 8 p.m. ET on the two networks, with ESPN carrying the traditional broadcast and ESPN2 providing the Statcast edition.
MLB All-Star schedule
Monday, July 10
| Date | Event | Time (ET) | TV |
| July 10 | Capital One PLAY BALL PARK | 1-9 p.m. | |
| July 10 | Home Run Derby | 8 p.m. | ESPN |
Tuesday July 11
| Date | Event | Time (ET) | TV |
| July 11 | Capital One PLAY BALL PARK | 1-9 p.m. | |
| July 11 | All-Star Red Carpet Show | 2-3:30 p.m. | MLB Network |
| July 11 | 2023 MLB All-Star Game | 8 p.m. | Fox |
