Home Run Derby Participants: Full list of players confirmed for All-Star event

The MLB All-Star celebrations are just around the corner, and with that comes the Home Run Derby, which takes place July 10. The list of sluggers who are participating is sure to make it entertaining.

Julio Rodriguez will participate in the event. With the All-Star festivities happening at T-Mobile Park, he's one of the favorites to win the event. Alongside Rodriguez are Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Mookie Betts and Randy Arozarena, who committed to the event Saturday.

One player missing from the derby will be Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuna Jr. While he'll be playing in the All-Star Game, he's taking this year's derby off. He wants to give other players the chance to shine as he takes the All-Star game easy.

This year's derby will feature a few first-timers. Mookie Betts has been an All-Star seven times during his career but has never competed in the derby. His wife pushed him to participate in the event this year. This will also be Randy Arozarena's first MLB Home Run Derby, as he participated in one during his minor-league days.

The Home Run Derby could have a surprise participant

Washington Nationals v Toronto Blue Jays

The MLB Home Run Derby is always a special event, but the players involved this year make it even better. Every player plays with a certain level of passion that it's entertaining to watch. It will be a battle as everyone participating wants to raise the trophy afterward.

One player who has yet to make his decision on competing is Juan Soto. Soto said he would like to compete only if he was named to the All-Star team. Complete All-Star rosters are revealed July 2.

With or without Soto, the derby will be entertaining. It will certainly be an event that baseball fans will not want to miss.

About the author

Jared "Bloomy" Bloom is a journalist covering Major League Baseball at Sportskeeda and a former college baseball pitcher from Illinois, who just graduated with a Master's degree in Sport Psychology.

A writer with over 3 years of experience, Jared is consistently more concerned with quality than quantity, thoroughly checking multiple sources of information, and prides himself in being knowledgeable not just about MLB, but the game of baseball in general. He loves breaking down plays and game-changing moments, as well as looking closer into players' statistics.

Jared is a die-hard Chicago White Sox fan, and one of his earliest memories is seeing his great-grandfather, a huge Sox fan, in his rocking chair watching a game. Jared started playing from the age of 5 with his grandfather coaching him early on.

Jared loved Tim Lincecum for his quirky delivery and looked up to him as a role model when playing. His current favorite is Phillies star Bryce Harper, an exciting player who doesn't let injuries hold him back. Jared's favorite sports moment is Mark Buehrle's opening day between-the-legs glove flip to first base in 2010.

When he is not watching or writing about baseball, Jared can be found racing BMX at his local Rockford BMX track or coaching his local youth travel baseball team.

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Edited by Jared "Bloomy" Bloom