‘When you lose, there’s damage control’: Ohio State and the pressure to beat Michigan
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Heather Dinich, ESPN Senior Writer
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A box of Yogi Stress Relief tea sat on Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles’ desk, where he watched film repeatedly this offseason to analyze defensive breakdowns in losses to Michigan and Georgia.
The pressure here, he conceded with a smile, is a little different than anywhere else he’s ever coached over the past three decades.
“You can’t lose a game,” he said following his first season with the Buckeyes, an 11-2 finish that included a College Football Playoff semifinal appearance. “You can’t lose a game.”
Especially The Game. Twice.
Roles have reversed in the Big Ten, in which Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh was lambasted in 2019 after dropping to 0-5 in one of the sport’s most iconic rivalries following an embarrassing 56-27 home loss to Ohio State. Buckeyes coach Ryan Day hasn’t defeated Harbaugh since — leaving two giant ink stains on Day’s Big Ten record that’s an otherwise spotless 32-0, including conference championship games. Not only has Michigan won the Big Ten each of the past two seasons, but the Wolverines have also encroached on Ohio State’s national spotlight, finishing in the top four in each of the past two seasons and reaching a new level under Harbaugh.
Ohio State is hardly in crisis mode — the Buckeyes enter this season with what should again be one of the most prolific offenses in the country and legitimate CFP aspirations — but the layers of NFL draft talent on the two-deep have yet to translate into a national title for Day. Back-to-back losses to Michigan have only compounded the scrutiny as Day enters his fifth season leading one of the wealthiest and most visible programs in the country.
“The expectation here every year is the same,” said Day, who is 1-3 in CFP semifinals. “Win the rivalry game, win the Big Ten and win the national championship. We fight like heck to do that and we’re right there. You can feel it, you can taste it, and that’s motivated the guys this offseason. When you get that close and you don’t get there, you didn’t get it done. And it certainly does motivate.”
And now he’s trying to do it without the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL draft, quarterback C.J. Stroud.
Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith has given no indication Day’s job is in jeopardy (“He’s my CEO,” Smith said in April), but the head coach is well aware the program hasn’t met its own expectations, particularly in the past two seasons. If Day loses to Harbaugh again, it will be the first time since 1995-97 that Ohio State lost three straight to Michigan. The goal, though, is consistently larger, and the Buckeyes haven’t won the national title since the 2014 season with Urban Meyer.
Day has made multiple hires to boost the brainpower in the building, has considered relinquishing playcalling duties, and had honest discussions with Knowles about how the defense can improve this fall.
“When you lose,” Day said, “there’s damage control.”
THE UNCANNY AND improbable timing of Ohio State’s missed field goal against Georgia in the CFP semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl might have etched its place in college football history.
As midnight approached on the East Coast and the New Year’s Eve clock in Times Square ticked down the final seconds until 2023, Ohio State kicker Noah Ruggles‘ 50-yard game-winning attempt simultaneously sailed wide left as the iconic ball dropped and celebrations erupted everywhere. Everywhere but Buckeye Country.
The No. 4 Buckeyes lost 42-41 to the eventual national champions in what was the most entertaining game of last year’s CFP. It never comes down to one play, but that’s how close Ohio State was to playing TCU for the national title, and with all due respect to the Frogs, probably winning it. It’s a narrow twist of fate and football that changed the entire narrative and exacerbated the losses to Michigan.
“We don’t have a choice,” Day said of winning a national title. “The expectation is that you do. The rivalry game is obviously very important, and when you look at those games, and you see the single plays that really cost us the game, when you’re talking about on defense giving up explosive plays, that’s very important, that’s how games can go sideways. We have to identify that and get that fixed. That hurt us in the Georgia game as well.”
Which is why Knowles was back at his desk this spring, zeroing in on 16 plays of at least 20 yards that changed Ohio State’s season (six against Michigan and 10 against Georgia). Plays such as Donovan Edwards‘ two runs of more than 75 yards in the fourth quarter for Michigan or Stetson Bennett‘s 76-yard pass to Arian Smith in the final quarter for Georgia. It was the most plays of at least 20 yards Ohio State has allowed in any two-game span since 2004, and the 10 in the Georgia loss was the most the Buckeyes have allowed in any game dating back to 2004, when ESPN’s Stats & Information began tracking the data.
“We had some matchup issues, which I blame myself,” Knowles said. “Got put into positions where the matchup was not in our favor. That’s my job to fix that and look out for that. We had some times where we lost our eyes and we didn’t execute. I call it eye violations. When the moments get big, our vision has to get smaller and more condensed. At times we had guys who were doing too much and not focused on their assignment. That goes back to me. Nobody wants to make the critical mistake, they don’t want to give up the critical play. That’s not how our guys are built. So then I have to look at my teaching and the environment.”
The environment features one of the most prolific offenses in the country at every practice. Knowles said he talks to his players about going against “the best receiver in the country” in Marvin Harrison Jr., who caught 77 passes for 1,263 yards and 14 touchdowns as a sophomore and is a projected first-round NFL draft pick.
“I went through it at Oklahoma State,” said Knowles, who was hired from the Cowboys following the 2021 season. “When you go into a place where the offense is just fantastic and off the charts, I feel like the defense, particularly in the back end, gets used to not winning in practice. I think it is a tough habit to break.
“It’s not OK to lose to Marvin,” he said. “That’s who we have to beat if we’re going to win the national championship, so we’re learning to compete against our offense and doing our fair share of winning.”
Winning was all Ohio State did last fall through its first 11 games, when Ohio State’s defense allowed an average of 16.9 points, compared to 43.5 against Michigan and Georgia. The Buckeyes held their first 11 opponents to 4.5 yards per play, while the last two averaged 8.9.
“You have to be willing to change if necessary,” Knowles said. “That’s part of growth. You have to be restless, uncomfortable. Nothing is nonnegotiable with me. I’ve worked my way to get here. I’m not going to fall on the sword and say, ‘This is the way we do it.’ No, look at everything. Break it down. It doesn’t matter if I’ve done it for 20 years. If something doesn’t work in those crucial situations, then I really need to look at myself.”
The problem went deeper than a few big plays, particularly against the Wolverines, who plowed their way to 252 rushing yards and 7.2 yards per carry. Michigan’s Edwards had nine carries for 170 yards and two touchdowns — in the fourth quarter — and 114 of those yards came before contact. It was the second straight year the Wolverines outgained and outmuscled Ohio State up front, as they ran for 297 yards to Ohio State’s 64 in 2021.
The disparity prompted former Michigan offensive coordinator Josh Gattis to question the Buckeyes’ toughness two days after the 2021 game.
“They’re a finesse team; they’re not a tough team,” Gattis said at the time, according to the Detroit News. “And we knew that going into the game that we can out-physical them, we can out-tough and that was gonna be the key to the game, and that’s what we prepared for all year long.”
Former Buckeyes’ star James Laurinaitis joined the program in January as a graduate assistant working with the defense, and Day hired former Nebraska assistant Mike Dawson as a defensive analyst. Day said the defensive staff is a “very veteran group,” but at the end of the day, “I’m the head coach, and I’ve got to make sure that it’s the way that we want it.”
Ohio State returns its leading tackler from last season, linebacker Tommy Eichenberg, along with defensive tackle Michael Hall Jr., who tied for the team lead in sacks last season. Defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau, who enters his junior season with 15 tackles for loss and six sacks, should be one of the best linemen in the country. Tuimoloau, who was the No. 5 player in the 2021 ESPN 300, had one of the best performances ever by an Ohio State defensive lineman in the Buckeyes’ 44-31 win at Penn State last season. He had a career-high six tackles, three TFLs, including two sacks, two interceptions, one pass breakup, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He helped Ohio State force four takeaways that directly led to 21 points, capped by Tuimoloau’s fourth-quarter pick-six to seal the win. Tuimoloau said the defense trusts in Knowles, and the Buckeyes are motivated to be better this fall.
“We’ve got to continue to grow in all aspects of the game,” Tuimoloau said, “Go to our offense, ask them questions. They coach us, we coach them, just continue to drive each other to be the team we know we should be.”
Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord, who is competing with Devin Brown for the starting job, said the Buckeyes will be “a very tough team” this fall.
“I think that everybody feels like we have something to prove,” he said. “After last year, how close we were, I think we still have a little bit of a sour taste in our mouth, so we’re coming out motivated.”
ASIDE FROM GETTING the extra push up front, Ohio State’s offense hasn’t been a problem. In fact, it’s been one of the best in the country. Since Day joined Ohio State’s staff as co-offensive coordinator in 2017, the Buckeyes are the only FBS team to average 40 points per game in each of those six seasons. In spite of that success, Day has tinkered with the idea of handing over the playcalling duties to recently promoted offensive coordinator Brian Hartline, who also coaches the receivers, and Hartline called plays during the spring game.
Day also hired former NFL head coach Joe Philbin as an offensive analyst, and even with a new starting quarterback and three new starting offensive linemen this fall, the Buckeyes should find ways to generate eye-popping statistics. Including Harrison, Ohio State returns 10 of the 11 players who had at least 100 yards from scrimmage last year, with Stroud being the lone exception.
“I always say if you play quarterback here, you have the keys to the Ferrari,” McCord said. “… The list goes on and on of talent I have around me, and it definitely helps. Whether you’re with the ones or the twos this spring getting reps, there are future NFL receivers around you. If you don’t throw a perfect ball, they’ll still go up and get it for you.”
Harrison was one of the Buckeyes’ highlights in the losses, as he snagged seven catches for 120 yards and one touchdown against Michigan and had five receptions for 106 yards and two touchdowns against Georgia before leaving the game in the third quarter under the concussion protocol — yet another controversial game-changing play that wasn’t flagged for targeting.
“Not being able to play the fourth quarter and seeing your team struggle offensively, definitely tough,” Harrison said. “We’re one play away — a couple plays away — from it being a completely different outcome.”
Ohio State didn’t have to beat Michigan last season to earn the selection committee’s No. 4 spot and its shot against Georgia. The season-opening win against Notre Dame coupled with the Oct. 29 road win at Penn State — plus an elite offense that scored at least 40 points in all but two wins — was enough.
It could be again.
Ohio State has a similar schedule, including a Sept. 23 trip to Notre Dame. If the Buckeyes can beat the Irish on their home turf, and Notre Dame finishes as a top-25 CFP team, that win will again boost Ohio State’s résumé through Selection Day. If the Buckeyes finish with one loss or better, they would likely be considered for a semifinal, and all but guaranteed a spot with a Big Ten title.
Day said the pressure he feels now is no different than his first day on the job, when he took over for Urban Meyer. It’s been the same, he said, for the previous coaches who came before him, from Woody Hayes to Meyer and everyone in between.
Hayes won five national titles, elevating the program to unprecedented heights. In seven seasons as head coach of Ohio State, Meyer won one national title — but he never lost to Michigan (7-0). Jim Tressel won the national title in his second season and went 9-1 against Michigan. John Cooper was 2-10-1 against Michigan. He was fired, but any comparisons between Day and Cooper are unfair and frankly unreasonable. Cooper was fired following concerns about discipline, competitiveness and academics.
The only common thread is the expectation to beat Michigan.
“It’s more than just a football game,” McCord said. “It’s something you live 365 days a year if you come here. It was a surprise when we lost to them my freshman year, and I think it woke a lot of people up. Last year we were confident going into the game. I think we had a good game plan. We knew what we wanted to do in terms of offensive scheme and where we wanted to attack them on defense. To come up short again really makes you take a step back and say, ‘We’ve got to change our approach and some of the things we’re doing.’
“I think everybody had a clear vision of what it’s going to take to win, because obviously the last two years we haven’t done enough to do that,” he said. “I can say with confidence, I think that’s the No. 1 goal in every person’s mind in the building every single day we walk in is to beat them.”
Which is why it’s magnified when they don’t.
The first day of the 2025 MLB draft is complete! The Washington Nationals selected Eli Willits with the No. 1 pick, opting for the prep shortstop — who might be more likely to sign below slot — in a draft with no clear-cut top prospect. And there were plenty of other intriguing selections as the first three rounds unfolded Sunday night.
The Seattle Mariners had to have been thrilled to have Kiley McDaniel’s No. 1-ranked prospect, Kade Anderson, fall to them at No. 3, and Ethan Holliday was selected at No. 4 by his famous father’s former squad the Colorado Rockies.
We asked ESPN baseball insiders Alden Gonzalez, Jesse Rogers and David Schoenfield to break down their favorite and most head-scratching moves of the draft’s first night, as well as to predict which players will bring the most to their new teams in the long term.
A lot of us were thrown for a loop by the first two selections. What do you make of the Nationals taking Ethan Willits at No. 1 and the Angels picking Tyler Bremner at No. 2?
Gonzalez: I was stunned on both accounts. Though there was definitely some uncertainty around the Nationals’ approach, especially since the firing of GM Mike Rizzo, I didn’t see anybody, anywhere, projecting Willits to be their choice at No. 1 overall. But the Angels drafting Bremner was an even bigger risk. Kiley had him 18th in his latest ranking. Six pitchers were ranked ahead of him. But Bremner might be someone who can rise and impact their major league roster quickly, and the Angels are always looking for that.
Rogers: The first two picks really summed up the uncertainty of the entire draft. The Nationals’ faith in a 17-year-old will be tested over the coming years, but the pick will likely save them some money for later in this draft and give Willits time to grow. The same can be said of many of the top picks: They’re going to need time. There are far fewer sure things this year — though Bremner could be the exception. The Angles love to graduate their players quickly, and as a college arm, he could see the majors sooner rather than later. Like Willits, this could also be a cost-saving move for later spending.
Schoenfield: In a draft that not only lacked a sure-thing No. 1 overall pick but was viewed as weaker at the top than those of recent years, it’s perhaps not a huge surprise that the Nationals and Angels used their picks to strike likely underslot deals with Willits and Bremner, giving them money to spend later in the draft — which they can use on high school prospects who might have slipped, trying to buy them out from going to college. It’s a strategy teams have used with success over the years, so the drafts for the Nationals and Angels will have to be viewed in their totality and not just focused on these two players.
What was your favorite pick of the night — and which one had you scratching your head?
Gonzalez: The Rockies have done a lot of things wrong over these last few … uh, decades. But it was really cool to see them take Ethan Holliday at No. 4 after his father, Matt, starred in Colorado for so long. Outside of the top two picks, Ethan Conrad going 17th to the Cubs was my biggest surprise of the night. Kiley had him ranked 30th; others had him falling out of the first round entirely. There’s uncertainty coming off shoulder surgery. But Conrad, 21, put up a 1.238 OPS in 97 plate appearances before his season ended prematurely in March. And the dearth of college bats probably influenced a slight reach here.
Rogers: I’m loving Billy Carlson to the White Sox at No. 10. Though they lost 121 games last season, Chicago couldn’t pick higher than this spot per CBA rules — but the Sox might have gotten a top-five player. Carlson’s defense will play extremely well behind a sneaky good and young pitching staff that should keep the ball on the ground in the long term. Meanwhile, with the pick of the litter when it came to hitters — college outfielders and high school kids as well — the Pirates took a high school pitcher at No. 6. Seth Hernandez could be great, but they need hitting. A lot of it.
Schoenfield: The Mariners reportedly wanted LSU left-hander Kade Anderson all along, but they certainly couldn’t have been expecting to get him with the third pick. (Keep in mind that the Mariners were lucky in the first place to land the third pick in the lottery, so they added some good fortune on top of good luck.) They get the most polished college pitcher in the draft, one who should move quickly — and perhaps make it a little easier for Jerry Dipoto to dip into his farm system and upgrade the big league roster at the trade deadline. Even though I understand why the Angels did it, Bremner still seems a little questionable. With the second pick, you want to go for a home run, and the consensus is that Holliday or even Anderson is more likely to be a more impactful major leaguer. Bremner’s lack of a third plus pitch is an issue, and you have to wonder if the Angels are relying too much on his control — which, yes, should allow him to get to the majors — and ignoring the possible lack of upside.
Who is the one player you’d like to plant your flag on as the biggest steal of this draft?
Gonzalez: Seth Hernandez, who went sixth to the Pirates and should someday share a rotation with Paul Skenes and Jared Jones. High school pitchers are incredibly risky, especially when taken so early in the draft. But Hernandez is a great athlete who already throws hard, boasts a plus changeup and showed improvement with his breaking ball this spring. He’ll go the Hunter Greene route, from standout high school pitcher to major league ace.
Rogers: Jamie Arnold will look like a steal at No. 11, especially when he debuts in the majors well before many of the players taken around him. I’m not worried about the innings drop in 2025 — not when he was striking out 119 hitters and walking just 27. The A’s need to polish him up but will be pleased by how consistent he’ll be. You can’t go wrong with a college lefty from an ACC school — at least, the A’s didn’t.
Schoenfield: I’m going with Billy Carlson with the 10th pick — with the admitted caveat that the White Sox haven’t exactly been stellar at developing hitters. But Carlson looks like an elite defensive shortstop with plus power, and that alone can make him a valuable major leaguer. If the hit tool comes along, we’re looking at a potential star. OK, he’s Bobby Witt Jr. lite? That’s still an All-Star player.
What’s your biggest takeaway from Day 1 of this draft?
Gonzalez: The Nationals throwing a wrench into the proceedings by selecting Willits. It was a surprising choice, but in their minds an easy one. Interim general manager Mike DeBartolo called Willits the best hitter and best fielder available. And in a draft devoid of can’t-miss, high-impact talent, Willits is no doubt a solid pick — a polished hitter who should stick at shortstop and might consistently hit 20 homers and steal 20 bases at a premium position. He also might come under slot, allowing flexibility later in the draft. But his selection is what allowed Anderson to reach the Mariners at No. 3 and prompted the Rockies to draft Holliday at No. 4, among other dominoes. It set a really interesting tone.
Rogers: Things change quickly in baseball. Whereas college hitters are usually the safest bets early in the draft, this year high school position players dominated. (And they all play shortstop, at least for now.) Athleticism has returned to baseball, and draft rooms are acting accordingly.
Schoenfield: I’m agreeing with Jesse. The selection of that many prep shortstops stood out — and they all seem to hit left-handed and run well, and some of them have big power potential and a cannon for an arm. Look, the hit tool is the most important and the hardest to scout and project, so not all these kids are going to make it, but their potential is exciting and, to Jesse’s point, their wide range of tools is showing that baseball is still drawing top athletes to the sport.
The 2025 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby is fast approaching — and the field is set.
Braves hometown hero Ronald Acuna Jr. became the first player to commit to the event, which will be held at Truist Park in Atlanta on July 14 (8 p.m. ET on ESPN). He was followed by MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners, James Wood of the Washington Nationals, Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins, Oneil Cruz of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays, Brent Rooker of the Athletics and Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the New York Yankees.
On Friday, however, Acuna was replaced by teammate Matt Olson.
With all the entrants announced, let’s break down their chances at taking home this year’s Derby prize.
Full All-Star Game coverage: How to watch, schedule, rosters, more
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 434 feet
Why he could win: Olson is a late replacement for Acuna as the home team’s representative at this year’s Derby. Apart from being the Braves’ first baseman, however, Olson also was born in Atlanta and grew up a Braves fan, giving him some extra motivation. The left-handed slugger led the majors in home runs in 2023 — his 54 round-trippers that season also set a franchise record — and he remains among the best in the game when it comes to exit velo and hard-hit rate.
Why he might not: The home-field advantage can also be a detriment if a player gets too hyped up in the first round. See Julio Rodriguez in Seattle in 2023, when he had a monster first round, with 41 home runs, but then tired out in the second round.
2025 home runs: 36 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: It’s the season of Cal! The Mariners’ catcher is having one of the greatest slugging first halves in MLB history, as he’s been crushing mistakes all season . His easy raw power might be tailor-made for the Derby — he ranks in the 87th percentile in average exit velocity and delivers the ball, on average, at the optimal home run launch angle of 23 degrees. His calm demeanor might also be perfect for the contest as he won’t get too amped up.
Why he might not: He’s a catcher — and one who has carried a heavy workload, playing in all but one game this season. This contest is as much about stamina as anything, and whether Raleigh can carry his power through three rounds would be a concern. No catcher has ever won the Derby, with only Ivan Rodriguez back in 2005 even reaching the finals.
2025 home runs: 24 | Longest: 451 feet
Why he could win: He’s big, he’s strong, he’s young, he’s awesome, he might or might not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. This is the perfect opportunity for Wood to show his talent on the national stage, and he wouldn’t be the first young player to star in the Derby. He ranks in the 97th percentile in average exit velocity and 99th percentile in hard-hit rate, so he can still muscle the ball out in BP even if he slightly mishits it. His long arms might be viewed as a detriment, but remember the similarly tall Aaron Judge won in 2017.
Why he might not: His natural swing isn’t a pure uppercut — he has a pretty low average launch angle of just 6.2 degrees — so we’ll see how that plays in a rapid-fire session. In real games, his power is primarily to the opposite field, but in a Home Run Derby you can get more cheapies pulling the ball down the line.
2025 home runs: 20 | Longest: 479 feet
Why he could win: Buxton’s raw power remains as impressive as nearly any hitter in the game. He crushed a 479-foot home run earlier this season and has four others of at least 425 feet. Indeed, his “no doubter” percentage — home runs that would be out of all 30 parks based on distance — is 75%, the highest in the majors among players with more than a dozen home runs. His bat speed ranks in the 89th percentile. In other words, two tools that could translate to a BP lightning show.
Why he might not: Buxton is 31 and the Home Run Derby feels a little more like a younger man’s competition. Teoscar Hernandez did win last year at age 31, but before that, the last winner older than 29 was David Ortiz in 2010, and that was under much different rules than are used now.
2025 home runs: 16 | Longest: 463 feet
Why he could win: If you drew up a short list of players everyone wants to see in the Home Run Derby, Cruz would be near the top. He has the hardest-hit ball of the 2025 season, and the hardest ever tracked by Statcast, a 432-foot missile of a home run with an exit velocity of 122.9 mph. He also crushed a 463-foot home run in Anaheim that soared way beyond the trees in center field. With his elite bat speed — 100th percentile — Cruz has the ability to awe the crowd with a potentially all-time performance.
Why he might not: Like all first-time contestants, can he stay within himself and not get too caught up in the moment? He has a long swing, which will result in some huge blasts, but might not be the most efficient for a contest like this one, where the more swings a hitter can get in before the clock expires, the better.
2025 home runs: 23 | Longest: 425 feet
Why he could win: Although Caminero was one of the most hyped prospects entering 2024, everyone kind of forgot about him heading into this season since he didn’t immediately rip apart the majors as a rookie. In his first full season, however, he has showed off his big-time raw power — giving him a chance to become just the third player to reach 40 home runs in his age-21 season. He has perhaps the quickest bat in the majors, ranking in the 100th percentile in bat speed, and his top exit velocity ranks in the top 15. That could translate to a barrage of home runs.
Why he might not: In game action, Caminero does hit the ball on the ground quite often — in fact, he’s on pace to break Jim Rice’s record for double plays grounded into in a season. If he gets out of rhythm, that could lead to a lot of low line drives during the Derby instead of fly balls that clear the fences.
2025 home runs: 19 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: The Athletics slugger has been one of the top power hitters in the majors for three seasons now and is on his way to a third straight 30-homer season. Rooker has plus bat speed and raw power, but his biggest strength is an optimal average launch angle (19 degrees in 2024, 15 degrees this season) that translates to home runs in game action. That natural swing could be picture perfect for the Home Run Derby. He also wasn’t shy about saying he wanted to participate — and maybe that bodes well for his chances.
Why he might not: Rooker might not have quite the same raw power as some of the other competitors, as he has just one home run longer than 425 feet in 2025. But that’s a little nitpicky, as 11 of his home runs have still gone 400-plus feet. He competed in the college home run derby in Omaha while at Mississippi State in 2016 and finished fourth.
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 442 feet
Why he could win: Chisholm might not be the most obvious name to participate, given his career high of 24 home runs, but he has belted 17 already in 2025 in his first 61 games after missing some time with an injury. He ranks among the MLB leaders in a couple of home run-related categories, ranking in the 96th percentile in expected slugging percentage and 98th percentile in barrel rate. His raw power might not match that of the other participants, but he’s a dead-pull hitter who has increased his launch angle this season, which might translate well to the Derby, even if he won’t be the guy hitting the longest home runs.
Why he might not: Most of the guys who have won this have been big, powerful sluggers. Chisholm is listed at 5-foot-11, 184 pounds, and you have to go back to Miguel Tejada in 2004 to find the last player under 6 foot to win.
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