Ranking NHL Stadium Series games based on venue, hype, style, competitiveness
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Greg Wyshynski, ESPN
What’s the difference between the NHL Stadium Series and the Winter Classic, besides their spots on the calendar?
Steve Mayer, the NHL’s chief content officer, has said there’s an aesthetic difference between the two.
“The Winter Classic is more traditional, historic. It’s got that touch of snow — whether it’s real or fake,” he said. “The Stadium Series is a little more modern. Colorful, graphic-oriented, interactive.”
But there’s also a spiritual difference. The Winter Classic is usually marinated in nostalgia. Mayer said the Stadium Series — in execution, venue and participants — can be a bit more “progressive” by comparison.
“It’s where we do a lot of future thinking,” he said.
That thinking has produced some of the most memorable outdoor games in NHL history during the Stadium Series, which began in 2014 and continues this weekend at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ, as the New Jersey Devils face the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday night (8 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN+) and the New York Rangers play the New York Islanders on Sunday afternoon (3 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN+).
But not every Stadium Series game has hit the bullseye, usually for reasons outside of the NHL’s control.
Here’s a subjective ranking of the Stadium Series games and their relative greatness. We’ve assigned a score of 1 to 10 in four categories for each outdoor game. There’s environment, which covers the novelty of the venue and the elements that challenged teams during the game; there’s hype, which covers the buzz leading up to the Stadium Series, as well as the allure of the teams involved; there’s the game itself, and whether it was competitive, boring or rendered unwatchable by the conditions; and finally style, as we consider how good the teams looked in their Stadium Series gear.
We’re counting down from 13 to 1, beginning with a trip to the State of Hockey:
Environment: 5
Hype: 4
Game: 3
Style: 5
The Wild had lobbied the NHL for a Winter Classic for several seasons before getting a Stadium Series game at the home of the Minnesota Golden Gophers. It was a celebration of Minnesota hockey, including a North Stars alumni game held on the eve of the Stadium Series. Soul Asylum played! The fans spelled out “Let’s play hockey!” before the game in the upper and lower deck. It snowed!
The Wild were in an interesting place when this game was played. They fired head coach Mike Yeo eight days before the Stadium Series, turning the bench over to interim coach John Torchetti. After looking like a lost season, their win against the Blackhawks was their fourth in a row. Torchetti would go 15-11-1 and the Wild would lose in the first round, as is tradition.
This Stadium Series edition was one of those outdoor games that meant a lot more to the fans attending it and the home team playing in it than it did to NHL fandom writ large. The home of Golden Gophers football isn’t exactly iconic. Fans were getting a bit of Blackhawks fatigue, to the point where the 6-1 thumping the Wild put on them didn’t even offer that much catharsis. Or a reason to stay invested as it was 3-0 just 23 minutes into the game.
The Wild took a really pedestrian route with their sweaters for this one, a bit of a throwback to the old home jerseys the Wild wore until about 2007, except this time they had wide white shoulders breaking up the design. The Blackhawks’ sweaters were miles better, with interesting striping, a collar that shouted out the Chicago city flag and a black yoke around the top that the team said was “a visual representation of the city’s nickname, the ‘City of Big Shoulders.'” And there’s nothing we like more than designers justifying aesthetic choices with historic minutia.
Environment: 4
Hype: 3
Game: 3
Style: 8
To help create more buzz for the Stadium Series, the NHL began a partnership with the U.S. military to hold outdoor games at service academies. That immediately led to speculation that the New York Rangers’ long gestating game at West Point could come to fruition. Instead, it led to an odd matchup between the Capitals and Maple Leafs, whose “rivalry” consisted of one first-round playoff series in the previous season, albeit a tightly played one.
This game carried a lot of meaning locally for Washington fans and personally for Capitals owner Ted Leonsis, whose father served in the Navy. But the stadium’s capacity (34,000) was much smaller than other NHL outdoor venues, and it didn’t have much of their unique character, either.
The Capitals had a 3-1 lead after the first period and a 5-2 lead after two periods. The third period will be remembered for a power outage at the stadium with 10 minutes remaining that suspended play for nearly 20 minutes. Because of that delay, the conclusion of the game was moved from broadcast to cable television in the U.S.
One thing this game got right were the jerseys. The Capitals rocked dark blue sweaters that had “CAPS” in lowercase letters under the three stars of the D.C. flag. The Maple Leafs went full yeti, wearing white helmets, white gloves, white pants with a white logo on the front of a white jersey. The only things breaking up the snowdrift were blue letters and numbers, some outlining on the logo and two stripes across the chest. Easily one of the most memorable Stadium Series fits.
Environment: 7
Hype: 3
Game: 4
Style: 6
Tom Dundon had wanted an outdoor game for the Hurricanes since taking over as owner in 2018. He had to wait a little longer as the COVID-19 pandemic postponed the team’s game at N.C. State University, but the wait was over in 2023.
While not an iconic location, Carter-Finley Stadium did provide ample room for epic tailgating, which is the Hurricanes fans’ specialty. The Capitals were a good choice for an opponent, not only as a current division rival but throwing back to the days of the old Southeast Division. Unfortunately, the Capitals’ biggest star — Alex Ovechkin — missed the game. He took leave from the team to attend his father’s funeral in Moscow.
Shorthanded and spiraling down the standings, the Capitals were beaten convincingly by the Hurricanes to the delight of Carolina’s fans, which included a standing room only student section near the rink.
Stylewise, the Capitals went bold with their look, going with the “Weagle” alternate logo stretched from arm to arm. The Hurricanes went with a black jersey with a red and black logo that seemed more “regular-season third jersey” than bananas Stadium Series sweater.
Environment: 4
Hype: 4
Game: 6
Style: 6
This game was the back end of a “home and home” between the Penguins and Flyers that actually spanned three seasons. They met at Heinz Field in 2017 and then didn’t meet for the rematch until 2019 at the Linc, home of the Eagles.
It’s rare that the game is better than the environment at the Stadium Series, but that was the case here. The game was held in the rain — sometimes heavy rain — which led to frequent tending to the ice with squeegees. The aesthetics of the stadium weren’t the most memorable design: some kind of a large gold and orange keystone logo covering a sea of rubber mats.
But hey, it did have Gritty ziplining to the field in a glowing jersey, so not a total loss.
Speaking of losses, it looked like the Flyers were headed for one until 16:56 of the third period, when James van Riemsdyk scored a power-play goal to cut the Penguins’ lead to 3-2. Jakub Voracek tied the game with 20 seconds left. Claude Giroux won it in a rare overtime for outdoor games.
One saving grace for this game was the jerseys, which are straight fire. The Flyers’ orange sweater with a black logo might have served as the template for the Devils’ jerseys for the 2024 Stadium Series. The Penguins’ incredible “Pittsburgh Gold” logo on a black jersey is considered one of their best looks for an outdoor game.
Environment: 7
Hype: 7
Game: 3
Style: 4
How long did the NHL want to play a game at Yankee Stadium? That was actually the original plan for the Winter Classic before the first installment of that annual game was held at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo.
In 2014, the plan finally came together for the five-year-old “new” Yankee Stadium. The idea was to have all three local teams play at the Stadium, with the Rangers facing the Devils and then the Islanders. Notice we didn’t say “hosting,” as the Rangers had to be the designated road team as part of Madison Square Garden’s tax-exempt status agreement with New York City.
There was plenty of hype for the first outdoor game in New York City and the first NHL game at Yankee Stadium. But the event itself was defined by climate and chaos. The game’s start was delayed by an hour because of sun glare. It was also brutally cold with some snowfall during the second period.
The chaos part? The 10 total goals scored to set an NHL outdoor game record — since tied twice — including six straight Rangers tallies that chased Devils goalie Martin Brodeur. The Rangers overcame a 3-1 deficit before the rout was on. If you liked goals, it was a great day. If you liked the Devils, maybe not so much.
The Rangers’ jerseys, which they also wore for their game against the Islanders a week later at Yankee Stadium, had a diagonal metallic “New York” that reminded some fans of what their AHL affiliate the Hartford Wolf Pack used to wear. But it was a stark look and a good twist on their traditional jersey. Plus, Henrik Lundqvist gets bonus points for his pinstripe pads. The Devils, meanwhile, broke out their “Christmas tree” jerseys they used to wear back in the 1980s — and then played accordingly.
Environment: 5
Hype: 5
Game: 6
Style: 6
This game was one of the most thrilling outdoor games the NHL has ever put on, with Tyler Toffoli completing a hat trick in the last minute of play to give the Kings the lead and the win. His timing was appreciated by many fans who had just arrived to the game during the third period.
We can’t talk about the Air Force Academy game without talking about what was happening on the ground. Thousands of fans didn’t see large portions of the game, and many left before its conclusion, thanks to a horrific traffic mess that turned 45-minute journeys from Denver into four-plus-hour expeditions. Air Force officials would later blame the mess on “car accidents and ill-prepared drivers.” But scores of fans were investigating refund policies based on how long it took for them to get into the game.
This contest had a lot going for it. There was a flyover the likes of which you’d expect from the Air Force. There were cadets seated on the walkway to the rink, so players shared high-fives with them. It felt like 17 degrees with the wind chill. At 6,621 feet above sea level, it was the highest altitude the NHL had ever played a game — and the players felt that struggle for oxygen.
The uniforms … wow. The Kings managed to simultaneously have the worst Stadium Series sweaters — with a diagonal “LA” that evoked a roller hockey team — and the greatest Stadium Series accessory with their chrome helmets. The Avalanche meanwhile had a jersey with the largest crest ever created by Adidas for the NHL: a giant white “A” that had an outline of Burgundy-colored Colorado Rockies cut into it. It was as bold a design as one could imagine for an outdoor game, like Saul Bass was commissioned to create a hockey sweater.
Environment: 8
Hype: 6
Game: 7
Style: 2
It’s always interesting when these outdoor game spectacles have stakes. The Sharks and Kings weren’t just two teams meeting in an outdoor game. They were archrivals, battling for a playoff spot in the Western Conference after meeting in the playoffs in the previous postseason. There were 70,205 packing the home of the 49ers to witness a battle between NorCal and SoCal in 57-degree weather. At the time, it was the third largest crowd ever to watch an NHL game.
The game was even given its own reality show series: “Road To The NHL Stadium Series” on EPIX, now known as MGM+.
Once the puck dropped, the competition was intense. The Kings took the 2-1 victory on a third-period Marian Gaborik goal that goalie Jonathan Quick made stand up.
The Sharks and Kings both used a bold three-stripe motif for their jerseys. The Sharks jersey was moderately successful, going from teal to white to black. The Kings jersey went from gray to black to white … and then right into white pants, making it look like someone tried to erase half of their uniform.
Environment: 6
Hype: 6
Game: 6
Style: 6
Beaver Stadium at Penn State University remains the NHL’s white whale for a true Keystone State showdown between the Penguins and Flyers. It was touted as a possibility before the NHL opted to run it back at Heinz Field, which hosted the 2011 Winter Classic.
A bright yellow recreation of the Fort Pitt Bridge framed the rink on the field. The fans weren’t put off by the return visit, as this was one of the highest rated Stadium Series on television.
The game’s biggest narrative was Sidney Crosby‘s return to a stadium where one hit interrupted his career. In 2011, Washington’s Dave Steckel hit Crosby in the head, and it took the better part of two years for him to recover. Sid picked up a measure of redemption by scoring the game’s first goal.
Overall, it was a close affair between two bitter rivals that had a one-goal margin in the third period. But anything the Flyers did was undermined by some shaky goaltending by Michal Neuvirth, who gave up four goals on 29 shots.
Stylistically, this was a solid contrast: The Penguins rocking gold jerseys with “city of champions” patches on the shoulders and innovative numbering and lettering vs. the Flyers comfortably playing the heels’ role with a black jersey augmented by wide orange bands around the arms.
Environment: 8
Hype: 5
Game: 6
Style: 6
After the scorefest against the Devils, the Rangers ran it back a week later against the Islanders at Yankee Stadium in a game that couldn’t have been further removed from their blowout over New Jersey. This 2-1 grind, which was won on Daniel Carcillo’s goal 4:36 into the third period, was played at night with temperatures dropping into the single digits due to the wind chill. The puck bounced like a racquet ball. If you wanted a battle against the elements in an outdoor game, this was your jam.
It was a boisterous crowd despite the temperatures and lack of scoring fireworks. While Rangers fans had the numbers, it felt like a more even split between the sides than at the Rangers vs. Devils game.
We touched on the Rangers’ jerseys earlier. The Islanders Stadium Series look was actually one of their best — comparatively speaking — essentially taking the “NY” stick logo from their crest and making it the primary logo. The colors and striping were great, too. It’s a look one yearns for when seeing the 2024 Islanders wearing Edmonton cosplay to their Stadium Series game.
Environment: 7
Hype: 3
Game: 8
Style: 8
The outdoor party finally came to Nashville as the Predators hosted their first outdoor game, and the Lightning played in their first one ever. As iconic venues go, Nissan Stadium isn’t exactly one of them. But the city’s imprint on the game was unmistakable, including on the pregame attire for the teams: The Lightning showed up in cowboy denim while the Predators wore outlaw biker gear.
The game was a feisty affair that featured two fights, one that got interesting when Filip Forsberg cut the Lightning lead to 3-2 late in the third. But Tampa Bay hung on.
Now, the score for the jerseys is probably going to be a contentious one. The Lightning’s jerseys with “BOLTS” diagonally over a blue lightning bolt are striking. But it’s the Predators’ “SMASHVILLE” jerseys — that word, broken up on two lines with a guitar pick in the middle — that caused the biggest stir. What can we say: We dig them.
Environment: 10
Hype: 8
Game: 3
Style: 7
We struggled with the environment score here. That’s not knock on Soldier Field, which is as worth a Stadium Series venue as you’ll find in a hockey-obsessed city. But the 2014 battle between the Blackhawks and the Penguins was played in unplayable conditions.
There was a heavy, driving snowstorm throughout the game, causing snow to pile up on the ice. No matter how many layers of clothing fans applied to their bodies, the chill still crept in. Battling the elements should be part of the story and the heart of the challenge of outdoor games. To that end, the Soldier Field Stadium Series game was ideal, but this was a game where completing fundamental hockey plays was a trial instead of fans witnessing an assemblage of stars whipping the puck around in pristine conditions.
So, we’ll give the environment a perfect score and the game itself a less than perfect score. The hype score is reflected by the fact that this was only the second outdoor game for Chicago. They would appear in four more over the next five seasons.
From a jersey perspective, the Blackhawks went back to black with a look that resembled the jerseys they wore from 1996-2007 (a.k.a. the Eric Daze era). But the chrome-upscaling of their traditional logo really made the colors pop. The Penguins’ sweaters weren’t anywhere on the level of their Winter Classic looks: They were essentially just their normal jersey with a chrome finish on the logo and black shoulders. That said, the style rating gets a significant bump from Marc-Andre Fleury‘s Pittsburgh Steelers-inspired goalie mask.
Environment: 8
Hype: 6
Game: 8
Style: 7
Coors Field? Gorgeous. One of the most aesthetically pleasing baseball stadiums in America. What wasn’t expected for this showdown between the Avs and Wings was the temperature: a balmy 65 degrees at gametime, defying expectations for the venue. The players wore the customary toques during warmups, as unnecessary as they were.
The game was one of the better Stadium Series, a back-and-forth affair that saw three lead changes. The final one came with one minute left in regulation, as Brad Richards scored to put the Wings up 4-3.
The musical acts were The Fray and Andy Grammer, just to put a timestamp on this.
The jerseys featured the Avalanche suiting up in a white sweater with a logo reminiscent of the Colorado Rockies; and the Red Wings looked sharp in a red jersey with a bold white swatch “under a redesigned ‘D’ logo, updated in its design to connect more directly with the iconic modern day Winged Wheel logo,” as the team put it. Detroit has had a lot of good outdoor looks, and this is no exception, especially with their white gloves.
Environment: 10
Hype: 10
Game: 4
Style: 7
We cannot stress enough, the importance of the 2014 Stadium Series game at Dodger Stadium to what these outdoor spectacles have become for the NHL. And not just because the event gave us this iconic photo of Gary Bettman meeting KISS.
This was really the first time the NHL let its freak flag fly for one of these games. There were volleyball players and deck hockey games on the field. Embracing all manner of California kitsch iconography, there were even palm trees near the rink. And of course four guys in face paint bellowing “I want to rock ‘n roll all night” while pyro fired off into the Los Angeles sky.
That all of this was happening inside a hallowed baseball stadium was even more jarring. Sure, the NHL had been to Fenway and Wrigley, but one expects to see ice there. Not so much in Chavez Ravine.
Alas, the game couldn’t live up to the hype. A spirited first period saw the Kings post 20 shots, but the Ducks scored twice, eventually winning behind a Jonas Hiller shutout. The jerseys were almost there, with their “chrome” logo gimmicks. The Ducks’ burnt orange base was outstanding but they opted for the “Webbed D” logo instead of the Mighty Ducks one that would have made this an instant classic. The Kings brought back their big crown, which looked great, but slapped on a drab gray sweater that was maybe a little too reminiscent of L.A. smog.
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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