Eight powerful sluggers are competing in tonight’s 2025 MLB Home Run Derby. The competition will be held in Atlanta, Georgia, at Truist Park, which is the home of the Atlanta Braves.
Ultimately, Ronald Acuna Jr. was the first to agree to compete. However, he was replaced by Matt Olson on Friday, which allowed for one Brave player to be still involved in the Derby. Along with Matt Olson, the team will include Cal Raleigh, Oneil Cruz, James Wood, Byron Buxton, Junior Caminero, Brent Rooker, and Jazz Chisholm Jr.
In the first round, each contestant will get three minutes or 40 pitches to hit as many home runs as possible. They’ll also get a bonus time for hitting a home run at 425+ feet in each round. In the semifinals, when there are four players left, they’ll head to a bracket format. Each contestant will get two minutes or 27 pitches. If there’s a tie, there would be a 60-second swing-off.
Then, it’ll be time for the finals when there are just two contestants left. In the finals, it’ll be two minutes or 27 pitches for each player.
Below, I’ve decided on three different players you can cash with at the top-rated sportsbooks.
Picks Summary:Â
- Oneil Cruz To Win Outright (+310)
- James Wood To Win Outright (+400)
- Junior Caminero To Win Outright (+1000)
*All odds from Bet365 (check our Bet365 Review)
2025 Home Run Derby
Monday, July 14, 2025 – 08:00 PM EDT at Truist Park
Oneil Cruz Should Be The Favorite!
Oneil Cruz only has 16 home runs this season. He’s hit a .212 average with 16 home runs, 37 RBIs, and a .733 OPS. That’s nothing to get excited about. However, Cruz has the longest home run of the season, which went 463 feet. He’s also added a max exit velocity of 122.9 mph and has an average launch angle of 8.7 degrees.
Cruz is a super-powerful, young hitter who should be able to have enough stamina to get through this tournament. He certainly won’t have any trouble getting bonus time, which should help him secure even more home runs in every round.
Over the last 30 days, Cruz has hit 56.1% of hard contact and a 19.3% barrel percentage against his previous 91 batters faced. That barrel percentage is easily the best on the Pirates and should be very beneficial in tonight’s Derby.
My first pick is Oneil Cruz at +310 odds.
MLB Pick: Oneil Cruz To Win Outright (+310) at Bet365
Hard-Hit Liners From James Wood!
James Wood is another powerful, young bat who has hit a 19.4% barrel percentage over the last 30 days. In addition, the left-hander has added 51.6% of hard contact over the previous month, and he’s also added more than 30% of line drives.
Wood has already hit a ball 451 feet this season. He’s also smacked a ball 117.9 mph this year. That said, his launch angles haven’t been super high. But he’s still in the 96th percentile or above in bat speed, average exit velocity, and barrel rate.
He’s also just second behind Ronald Acuna in average home run distance and has fewer 425+ home runs than Aaron Judge and Kyle Schwarber. None of those three mentioned are even in the derby. That’s why Wood’s got a chance.
Give James Wood a chance. It’s never a bad idea to take young power bats in this contest.
MLB Pick: James Wood To Win Outright (+400) at Bet365
Here’s My Sleeper!
Junior Caminario is another option for this year’s Home Run Derby. He’s another 22-year-old with so much power. He hasn’t hit a ball more than 425 feet, but he’s still got 23 home runs on the season. He’s got a super fast bat, and he’s still top 15 in max exit velocity.
I should also note that he’s been able to spray home runs around the field. He’s got enough power to muscle out a home run to the opposite field. Others will need to pull the ball to have the same success.
That’s why Junior Caminero is an intriguing sleeper pick. At +1000, you really can’t go wrong with the Tampa Bay Rays’ youngster.
MLB Pick: Junior Caminero To Win Outright (+1000) at Bet365
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