Can anyone beat Pete Alonso?
That’s the number one question heading into Monday night, as the New York Mets slugger gets set to potentially make history at the 2022 Home Run Derby at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
No contestant over the previous 36 years of the Home Run Derby has won three straight. Only one player even has a total of three Derby victories.
On Monday, starting at 8 p.m. ET, Alonso could become the first back-to-back-to-back Home Run Derby champion. While seeing him do so will certainly bring enough thrill to New York fans. Legally betting on it would add to that excitement.
Good news: You can indeed bet on the Home Run Derby with NY online sportsbooks.
How NY sports betting breaks down Home Run Derby
Obviously, sportsbooks in New York allow for users to bet on individual games and player props. But markets such as individual awards, which require voting, remain off-limits.
Fortunately, with MLB taking its midsummer hiatus and thus creating a full day off from major professional events, baseball betting action still exists.
With Polar Bear Pete Alonso the reigning Derby champion two times over, NY betting apps peg the slugger as the odds-on favorite to once again repeat.
| Player | FanDuel Sportsbook NY | DraftKings Sportsbook NY | Caesars Sportsbook NY | BetMGM Sportsbook NY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pete Alonso | +195 | +200 | +190 | +175 |
| Kyle Schwarber | +350 | +330 | +330 | +325 |
| Juan Soto | +500 | +550 | +550 | +500 |
| Julio Rodríguez | +750 | +800 | +700 | +800 |
| Ronald Acuña Jr. | +800 | +650 | +750 | +700 |
| Corey Seager | +1000 | +1000 | +1100 | +1000 |
| José Ramírez | +1600 | +1700 | +1800 | +1600 |
| Albert Pujols | +2400 | +2200 | +2400 | +2200 |
On top of simply betting on the overall winner, several online sportsbooks in New York offer various other Home Run Derby markets.
For example, FanDuel Sportsbook NY set the over/under for longest home run of the event at 493.5 feet. Similarly, Caesars New York has the line at 494.5 feet. Caesars also has an over/under of 252.5 total home runs in the event.
Meanwhile, DraftKings Sportsbook NY asks if anyone will break the record for longest home run in a derby, a feat accomplished if a homer exceeds 521 feet.
What is the format of the 2022 Home Run Derby?
The Home Run Derby brings back the bracket-style format, setting up a single-elimination style event until only one slugger remains.
Each batter will have three minutes to hit as many home runs as they can in the first two rounds. That time goes down to two minutes in the championship round.
Within each round, contestants will have a 45-second timeout to use at their discretion. Alonso put on a clinic on the best way to use the timeout during his 2019 championship run.
In addition, each batter will have 30 seconds at the end of every round. Another 30 seconds will be added if a homer exceeds 440 feet during the regulation time.
Should a round end in a tie, batters will have a 60-second swing-off. If a winner is still not declared, they will endure three-swing swing-offs until a victor emerges.
No. 1 Kyle Schwarber, Philadelphia Phillies vs. No. 8 Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals
No. 4 Juan Soto, Washington Nationals vs. No. 5 José Ramírez, Cleveland Guardians
No. 3 Corey Seager, Texas Rangers vs. No. 6 Julio Rodríguez, Seattle Mariners
No. 2 Pete Alonso, New York Mets vs. No. 7 Ronald Acuña Jr., Atlanta Braves
Alonso going for Derby three-peat
As noted, only one other player has won the Home Run Derby three times: Ken Griffey Jr.
But nobody has ever claimed three consecutive titles.
Alonso could become the first during the first Home Run Derby held at Dodger Stadium.
He stands as the overall favorite at all sportsbooks. In his first-round matchup, Alonso is a -230 favorite to defeat the Atlanta Braves’ Ronald Acuña Jr. at FanDuel.
Alonso has shown that he was seemingly MADE for the Home Run Derby. And he has made it clear how much pride he takes in it, going as far to say that he’s “one of the best people to do it.” Jayson Stark, writing for The Athletic, called Alonso “the greatest Home Run Derby monster of them all.”
“I’m a power hitter,” Alonso said. “And for me, I think I’m the best power hitter on the planet.”
