This year, the AL will compete against the NL — not only for the individual Derby crown, but to see which league will hit more home runs during the event. Luckily for Big Papi, the American League is stacked with sluggers and he has a lot of firepower to choose from.
Out of all the potential candidates, NESN Nation wants to know: Who would you pick first for the AL Home Run Derby team if you were David Ortiz?
Mark Teixeira is an easy favorite to join the fun. The New York Yankees’ first baseman leads the majors this year with 25 home runs, the latest one coming as No. 300 of Tex’s career. But, in his only appearance in the Derby as a member of the Rangers in 2002, Teixeira only managed two home runs and was eliminated after the first round.
Teixeira’s teammate, Curtis Granderson, can’t be overlooked, either. The pinstriped center fielder got off to a sizzling start this year, and sits in third in the league with 21 dingers. Too bad speed isn’t a factor in the Derby, though. Granderson is the only AL slugger in the top 10 of home runs who has double digit stolen bases.
Another obvious candidate is outfielder Jose Bautista. The Toronto Blue Jays slugger mashed 54 homers last year to lead the league and is staying hot this summer with 24 so far. But he has never been in the Home Run Derby before, so he might be a little bit of a wild card.
Obviously, Red Sox fans would like to see Adrian Gonzalez given some consideration as well. Gonzo leads the league in batting average, RBIs and the number of times he’s made fans say “Man, I’m glad we got that guy.” But is his swing built for the power display of the contest?
Nelson Cruz‘s definitely is.
The Texas Rangers’ right fielder crushed 21 homers in the 2009 Home Run Derby, good for ninth-most on the all-time Derby list. And if you’re looking for some added motivation, he finished second in that Derby to this year’s National League captain, Prince Fielder.
And finally, Detroit Tigers man-child Miguel Cabrera is raking this season, as usual. He has 17 homers to go along with an obscene 1.038 OPS. And, for what it’s worth, he has some serious experience in the Derby. After advancing to the second round both in 2006 and 2010, he has 27 career Derby dingers.
So, if you were David Ortiz, who would be your first choice for the American League’s Home Run Derby team?
Who should be the first pick for the AL Home Run Derby team?survey software
