It’s redemption time for José Ramírez in Arlington.
The All-Star slugger has announced on social media that he will be participating in this year’s Home Run Derby during All-Star week.
This is Ramirez’s second time competing in the event, the first time in 2022 at Dodger Stadium where he was eliminated by Juan Soto in the first round. José is currently tied for fourth most home runs in the league this season with 23, and is on pace for a career-best 42.
The Derby will look a bit different this year as the contest has new rules and a new format for 2024.
In previous years the Derby was an eight-person, single-elimination bracket with three rounds, with the seeding of the bracket being determined by how many homers each player had hit up to that point in the season.
There will still be one-on-one showdowns this year, but that won’t take place until the semifinals. The first round will consist of all eight hitters with no predetermined seeds and the top four performers will move on to the semifinals. From there, the hitters will be seeded into a single elimination bracket based on the number of home runs they hit in the first round. Any tie breakers will be determined by the longest home run of the round.
Ramirez is among good company of Cleveland sluggers who have participated in the event, including Albert Belle, Jim Thome, Manny Ramirez, Grady Sizemore, and Carlos Santana – and is only the third Cleveland hitter to partake in the event multiple times.
The six-time All-Star will hopefully claim the title this year and bring the trophy to Cleveland for the first time in franchise history.
The other confirmed participants in the Derby this year are Gunnar Henderson, Pete Alonso, Alec Bohm, Bobby Witt Jr. and Marcell Ozuna.