Yanks’ Chisholm, A’s Rooker fill HR Derby field

Athletics slugger Brent Rooker and New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. have added their names to the list of Home Run Derby participants who will vie for the title Monday night at Truist Park in Atlanta.

Rooker will become the first Athletics player in the Home Run Derby since Matt Olson in 2021.

“Competing in the Home Run Derby has always been a dream of mine,” Rooker said in an Instagram post. “Can’t wait to make it happen next week in Atlanta! See ya there!”

Rooker, 30, entered Thursday with a .270 batting average, 19 homers and 50 RBIs, putting him on pace for a third straight season of at least 30 homers. He went deep 30 times in 2023 and had 39 homers in 2024.

His 58 homers since the start of the 2024 season rank him third among all American League players, and he said he won’t be changing his approach on Monday.

“I mean, look, just about every swing I’ve ever taken in my life I’ve been trying to hit a home run,” Rooker said. “It’s not like I have to change too much in that regard, but I did get out here early yesterday and got a feel for a 3-minute round to kind of feel the timing of it.”

The only A’s to win the Derby were Mark McGwire in 1992 and Yoenis Céspedes in 2013 and 2014.

Chisholm, a two-time All-Star, has 17 home runs this season and will compete in the Derby for the first time. He will become the seventh different Yankees hitter to participate, with four — Tino Martinez (1997), Jason Giambi (2002), Robinson Cano (2011) and Aaron Judge (2017) — having won it.

Acquired from the Miami Marlins last July, Chisholm began the day batting .250 with 43 RBIs in 62 games this season. The left-handed hitter homered twice Wednesday and has seven home runs in his last 12 games. He had 10 homers since returning from an oblique injury on June 3.

Other announced participants include Atlanta’s Ronald Acuña Jr., Minnesota’s Byron Buxton, Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero, Pittsburgh’s Oneil Cruz, Seattle’s Cal Raleigh and Washington’s James Wood.

Raleigh is a 3-1 favorite at ESPN BET to win the Home Run Derby, followed by Cruz (+325) and Acuna (+400).

Each of the eight participants will hit in the first round for up to 3 minutes or up to 40 balls, whichever comes first. At the end of the timed round, each hitter will receive a minimum of three bonus outs, and a fourth bonus out may be achieved by hitting a home run of at least 425 feet during the bonus swings.

The top four home run totals will advance to a seeded and bracketed semifinal matchup in which each hitter will bat for up to 2 minutes or up to 27 balls. The two semifinals winners will meet in the final round, which will also last for up to 2 minutes or up to 27 balls.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.