Bryce Harper will be the No. 2 seed in the 2018 T-Mobile Home Run Derby next Monday at Nationals Park in Washington. He will face Freddie Freeman of the Atlanta Braves in the first round of the event.
The Washington Nationals outfielder said he would compete this year as long as he was named to the National League All-Star Team. Harper has hit 22 home runs so far this season, one shy of the NL lead.
Harper was the most recent National to compete in the derby, when in 2013 he lost to Yoenis Cespedes in the final round at Citi Field in New York.
Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Jesus Aguilar, hours after winning the National League “fan vote” to decide the league’s final All-Star, was given the No. 1 overall seed and will face Philadelphia outfielder Rhys Hoskins in round one.
If Harper advances past the first round, he will match up against the winner of the No. 3 vs. No. 6 matchup: Max Muncy of the Los Angeles Dodgers versus Javier Baez of the Chicago Cubs.
Finally, Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman and will take on the Cubs’ Kyle Schwarber in the No. 4 vs. No. 5 game.
Bregman will be the only American League participant in the event. And Harper is the only participant who won’t be swinging for the fences for the first time; the other seven contestants are entering their first derby.
The Home Run Derby will be broadcast live on ESPN Monday night.
• Adam Zielonka can be reached at azielonka@washingtontimes.com.
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