This year’s T-Mobile Home Run Derby takes place at Globe Life Field on July 15 (8 p.m. ET, ESPN), and the first player to announce he’s participating in the annual tournament is Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson. Henderson, who trails only Aaron Judge for the most homers in MLB this season, made the announcement while on microphone during Baltimore’s Sunday Night Baseball game against the Rangers.
We’ll be keeping track of which batters throw their hat – or their bat – into the ring as the Derby approaches.
Longest HR of 2024: 430 feet, June 10 vs. Rays
Hardest Hit HR of 2024: 112.3 mph, April 29 vs. Yankees
Henderson hit 28 home runs in his 2023 AL Rookie of the Year campaign, and he’s nearly matched that total through the first half of the ’24 season. He replaces teammate Adley Rutschman and is making his Derby debut after Rutschman made his first Derby appearance in Seattle last year.
Longest HR of 2024: 427 feet, June 30 vs. Marlins
Hardest Hit HR of 2024: 106.8 mph, June 30 vs. Marlins
While he’s never been a prolific home run hitter — his career high in a season is 20 — he certainly has pop. Four of his 11 homers this season have traveled 415 or more feet, and nine of those 11 have come with an exit velocity of 101.9 mph or better. Bohm has been a doubles machine so far in 2024, but now he’ll be looking to improve his game, just for fun.