Tag: Home Run Derby

2021 MLB Home Run Derby bracket

Who wins the home run derby on Monday?

It’s not every year, or any year besides this one in fact, that Notre Dame is represented in Major League Baseball’s home run derby.  That is the case this coming Monday though as Trey Mancini of the Baltimore Orioles will participate in the derby.

Does Mancini have a shot at winning the entire thing and what does his potential path to glory look like?  Here is how the 2021 MLB Home Run Derby bracket looks:

To me, the derby got a bit old with the previous rules but since rounds have moved timed instead of based on outs, the excitement is greater than ever.

Here’s to a hopefully exciting couple of hours of fun Monday night in Denver with a ball that will almost certainly be extra juiced in a park that is already begging for home runs.

Watch: Trey Mancini video released to promote Home Run Derby

Get hyped for the former Irish star’s big moment coming soon.

It’s been quite a year for Baltimore Orioles slugger and former Notre Dame player Trey Mancini. His reward for coming back after being diagnosed with colon cancer, at least for the moment, is the opportunity to compete in this year’s Home Run Derby. To get fans excited about him being at the appetizer to the Major League Baseball All-Star Game in Denver, the following video has come out:

Mancini is one of the few bright spots for the struggling Orioles, achieving an OPS of .789, hitting 14 home runs and driving in 52 runs. He hopes to display some of his power when Irish pitching coach Chuck Ristano serves as his personal pitcher during the derby. He also might secretly be hoping that it will serve as a showcase for any team interested in him at the trade deadline. Whatever his motives are, he will want to take advantage of a moment during which the entire baseball universe squarely will be watching him.

Notre Dame product Trey Mancini to compete in Home Run Derby

The Irish will have representation for the return of the Home Run Derby.

For the first time, Notre Dame will have representation in Major League Baseball’s Home Run Derby. That representation will come from Baltimore Orioles slugger Trey Mancini. The Irish baseball Twitter account sent its congratulations his way:

Mancini has 14 home runs this season and is among the major-league leaders in RBIs with 52. He joins a field that currently has Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angels Angels and defending champion Pete Alonso of the New York Mets. The field will be rounded out with five more participants before the event is held July 12 at Coors Field in Denver. It will serve as a tuneup for the All-Star Game the next day.

Mancini is in the middle of quite the comeback season after he missed 2020 to be treated for Stage 3 colon cancer. However, the Orioles are dead-last in the American League and pretty much have no further use for Mancini’s services. It’s likely he gets moved at or before the trade deadline, and there are a few teams that could benefit from him.