4 biggest absentees from Home Run Derby and why Aaron Judge refused to compete
New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge will be joined by Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani on the MLB Home Run Derby sidelines in Atlanta's Truist Park
The 2025 MLB Home Run Derby is the tasty appetizer to the league's All-Star Game at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia. The field has six confirmed (of eight) members. Local Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuna (nine home runs) was the first to commit.
He'll be joined by Cal Raleigh (36), James Wood (23), Junior Caminero (21), Byron Buxton (20), and Oneil Cruz (16). Cruz is the worst natural hitter in the field but possesses otherworldly bat speed, boasting both the top exit velocity and highest-averaged exit velocity in baseball this year.
New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, second in the league with 34 home runs, will not compete. The two-time American League MVP cited how his 2017 derby win "exacerbated" a shoulder injury suffered right before the contest.
Judge isn't the only big name missing. Here are three other stars who will not be competing:
READ MORE: New York Yankees shunned by $106M Pittsburgh Pirates All-Star who refused tradeREAD MORE: Yankees star's father angrily jaws at Mets fans as son's on-field struggles persistShohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers
Ohtani, who competed in the 2021 edition of the derby in Colorado, explained that it's not "feasible" to compete in the derby anymore. Why? The Japanese slugger cited its length (three rounds).
Ohtani ranks third in the MLB leaderboard with 31 home runs, and he's recently returned to the mound for the pitching-depleted Dodgers starting rotation.
Pete Alonso, New York Mets
Alonso is a flagbearer for the Home Run Derby: New York's first baseman has competed in the event each year since he debuted in 2019, winning it twice (2019 and 2021).
The 30-year-old, named an All-Star once again, currently has 21 home runs for the first-place Mets. When asked why he declined the invitation, he cited the need to stay healthy for the long season.
"I just decided not to do it this year," Alonso said on July 6. "I have never really fully enjoyed the three off days, so I just want to be in the best possible position to help this team win in the second half."
READ MORE: Former MLB star's family missing after devastating Texas floodsREAD MORE: Dodgers legend opens old wounds with savage remark about cheating scandalVladimir Guerrero Jr, Toronto Blue Jays
Guerrero, the recent $500 million man in Toronto, was named an All-Star starter at first base once again for the American League. His underneath-the-hood stats are still elite: he owns the second-best max exit velocity (120.4 mph) behind Cruz this year.
The 2023 derby winner and the competition's single-season record holder (91 in 2019) has just 12 home runs this year for the first-place Blue Jays.
When asked if he would compete this year, Guerrero said no and admitted, “That’s [Ronald] Acuna’s show.” He added he plans to compete if the All-Star game is in Toronto.
Other notable omissions include Teoscar Hernandez (Dodgers, 2024 winner), Pete Crow-Armstrong (Cubs), Kyle Schwaber (Phillies), Fernando Tatis Jr (Padres), and others.