MLB All-Star Game Best Bets: HR Derby Odds, Favorites, Predictions

The MLB Home Run Derby is on Tuesday evening. The event is scheduled to begin at 8:00 PM ET. There will be no Cleveland Indians or Cincinnati Reds players, but Salvador Perez will represent the American League Central.

The National League Central has no representatives in the game. Jesse Winker or Nick Castellanos could have been good candidates, but they did not make the list.

Here are the odds for the eight competitors in the 2021 HR derby. There are many bets with great value on this list.

#1 – Shohei Ohtani (+260)
#2 – Joey Gallo (+420)
#3 – Pete Alonso (+450)
#4 – Matt Olson (+500)
#5 – Trevor Story (+750)
#6 – Juan Soto (+800)
#7 – Salvador Perez (+1500)
#8 – Trey Mancini (+1800) 

The Favorite: Shohei Ohtani

Shohei Ohtani has taken Major League Baseball by storm. He has proven that he can hit homers against live pitching, so he should not have much trouble hitting bombs in a BP situation. Ohtani at +260 is an excellent deal. A $100 bet would payout $360 if the future MVP was to win.

Ohtani has hit 33 bombs in 2021, and he has shown his top-tier power on multiple occasions. The hybrid player is one of six athletes to hit an upper-deck homer at T-Mobile Park. My concern with Ohtani is his fatigue.

This is unprecedented, so there is a solid chance that Ohtani is tired. He has pitched and hit throughout the season without many days off. The Home Run Derby is attrition warfare. All the players have strength, but it’s about who can stay strong throughout the late rounds.

The Defending Champion: Pete Alonso

Pete Alonso at +450 is a phenomenal wager considering he is the defending champion in the event. There was no Home Run Derby in 2020 because of COVID-19, but Alonso hit 57 bombs in the 2019 event.

This was the fourth-largest total in Home Run Derby history. Many players shy away from the derby, but Alonso made it clear that he was coming back to defend his crown. His stamina was great in the 2019 event, and now that he has the experience, I am very confident in him repeating.

The Hometown Boy: Trevor Story

Trevor Story is one of the best shortstops in the upcoming free agency pool. He will not play in Colorado next season, and there is a chance that he does not finish the year without the team. Nevertheless, it would be a fitting end for Story to win the derby in his home ballpark before being traded.

Story has the power to win this event, and he has the stamina. He will have to exert more energy for the ball to leave the yard than Ohtani, but he is still a respectable selection. Story knows how to hit at Coors Field, which makes him a threat.

The Underdog: Trey Mancini

It could be worth putting a few bucks on Trey Mancini to win. He has the league on his side because of his story. Mancini missed 2020 because of Stage III colon cancer. He beat the disease and is now in the derby. I do not think he will win, but you never know!