When and how to watch the 2022 MLB Home Run Derby

The 2022 Home Run Derby takes place tonight at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Although All Star starting outfielder Joc Pederson was invited, he had to decline for health reasons. So the San Francisco Giants will once again not have a contestant in the event for the 18th consecutive year, since Barry Bonds last appeared in 2004

But that doesn’t mean it won’t be a fun event to watch. This year’s event features some of the most exciting names in the game.

The player to watch will be Pete Alonso, who is hoping to become the first player to win three consecutive derbies. The only other player to have won three (if not consecutively) is Ken Griffey Jr. So this could be a big night for Alonso and baseball fans everywhere.

But don’t count out Kyle Schwarber, who leads the field with 28 home runs this season, or the feel-good story potential of Albert Pujols leaving it all on the field and going out in a blaze of glory in his final season before retirement.

The way the format works is that the winners of the first and second match-ups go on to face each other first in the next round, followed by the winners of the third and fourth after that.

The winners of those go on to compete against each other for the title.

The Match-Ups

• The first match-up will feature Kyle Schwarber of the Philadelphia Phillies vs. Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals.
• The second match-up will feature Juan Soto of the Washington Nationals vs. José Ramirez of the Cleveland Guardians.
• The third match-up will feature reigning two-time winner Pete Alonso of the New York Mets vs. Ronald Acuña, Jr. of the Atlanta Braves.
• The fourth match-up will feature former-Dodger Corey Seager, currently with the Texas Rangers vs. Julio Rodriguez of the Seattle Mariners.

How to watch the 2022 Home Run Derby

ESPN will be broadcasting the Home Run Derby tonight at 5:00 p.m. PT. There will also be a more analytically driven broadcast over on ESPN2 for the stat heads. ESPN Deportes will have the derby in Spanish. And viewers can watch online via Watch ESPN and MLB.com.

Opening odds for the Home Run Derby can be found here via Draftkings Sportsbook.