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The 2025 MLB Home Run Derby is less than two weeks away, as the All-Star Game will take place in Atlanta, Georgia, this summer. The Home Run Derby is always a spectacle to watch. Seeing hundreds of home runs hit in a short span is what baseball fanatics love to see, and 2025 should provide more fireworks.
Three superstars have already committed to the derby: Ronald Acuna Jr., Cal Raleigh, and James Wood. All three are deserving. Even though Acuna Jr. has only played for about a month, the host city always gets at least one guy in the derby, and Acuna Jr. is one of baseball's best when healthy. Acuna Jr. has competed in the derby twice, in 2019 and in 2022.
Raleigh, you could say, deserves to be in the derby more than anyone this season. He leads the majors in home runs, and his 33 right now puts him in elite company. Raleigh joins some of the game's legends with 30 home runs before July, including Babe Ruth, Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, and Ken Griffey Jr. Raleigh is on pace for 60+ home runs this season, which would be the first since Aaron Judge did it in 2022 with 62. Speaking of Judge, he won the Derby in his rookie season in 2017. He said on record he would not participate again unless it was at Yankee Stadium.
The last name to join was Washington Nationals' James Wood, who committed early on Thursday. Wood is one of the game's top young power hitters, and he has a swing worth watching for the derby. He makes hitting home runs seem simple with his tremendous power. Wood could be a sleeper in this year's event.
With three committed and five more to go, let's predict who will round out the eight total.
There are a plethora of names who could join. The league likes to do two things: add as many stars as possible, and favor the players who have hit the most home runs to that point of the season. You already know the league would prefer to have Judge and Shohei Ohtani in it, but that won't always be the case. If Ohtani were healthy, maybe he would join; however, he is attempting to pitch again, and the derby is the last thing the Dodgers want him doing.
I ranked the final five players in order of who should be added based on who deserves it the most.
1. Eugenio Suarez
Outside of Cal Raleigh, Eugenio Suarez deserves to be in this derby the most. He is tied for fourth in the majors with 26 home runs alongside Kyle Schwarber and has multiple multi-homer games, showing his worth for the derby. He has never participated before, but hitting four homers in one game against the Atlanta Braves earlier this season proves he is more than ready for the event. Hitting four home runs in one game is damn-near unheard of in today's game. Fans love to see that power established.
2. Kyle Schwarber
Schwarber is one of the game's best home run hitters and has been for his entire career. He has also declined to participate in derbies in the past. He could very well decline once again, but his beautiful home run swing has never changed. Schwarber will always be a favorite to win the event if he participates. Schwarber is tied with Suarez with 26 home runs after he hit his latest against the San Diego Padres on Wednesday. Shohei Ohtani is the only true lefty with more homers than Schwarber.
3. Seiya Suzuki
The remaining three players mentioned would be doing the derby for the first time.
Seiya Suzuki is having a career season. He is right behind Suarez and Schwarber in homers with 23 on the season, placing him 6th. He has one more than Wood, who joined earlier on Thursday. Suzuki also leads the league in RBIs with 73. He is getting the job done at a high rate and is on pace for 40+ home runs and 120+ RBIs. Suzuki deserves to be in the derby this season as one of the top right-handed bats in the game.
4. Riley Greene
Riley Greene is the starting left fielder for the AL in the All-Star Game. His surge onto the scene for the Tigers has been a thrill for them and their elite run in 2025. Greene is tied for 8th with 21 homers on the season and is batting .296 and adds 69 RBIs, tied for fourth in the league. Greene is also 11th with a .898 OPS. With a pure left-handed swing, Greene would be a great fit for the derby. He would have a chance to compete with Wood and Raleigh (confirmed) for the most homers over the right-field wall, which is roughly only 325 feet. Raleigh is a switch-hitter, however, so he could bat righty or lefty.
5. Ketel Marte
Marte is the final name that should be added to the derby. Marte is on a massive hot streak right now and has hit 10 home runs over his last 30 games and six in the last 15 games. Marte is 4th in the league with a .999 OPS and is very close to surpassing a 1.000 OPS. His 18 homers are tied for 16th in the majors, and he has the third most on the Diamondbacks, behind Suarez with 26 and Corbin Carroll with 19. Marte joining the derby would be good for him and his confidence heading into the second half of the season.
