Which Red Sox should be in the Home Run Derby (besides Bobby Dalbec)?

Blissful Derby day, of us. In just some hours, among the league’s prime sluggers can be launching spheres of cowhide deep into the Atlanta sky at an alarming price.

The Home Run Derby tonight acquired us considering: what random Red Sox gamers on the peak of their powers—previous or current—would we prefer to see step into the field for this contest? No David Ortiz, Ted Williams, or Manny Ramirez picks; that’s too simple. We need to dive deep, and we’d like to learn who you’ll choose within the remark part under. Batter up.

Wily Mo Peña

I imply, who else would you count on me to select?

Gotta be trustworthy: a part of this train is simply an excuse for me to convey Wily Mo again to your consideration. A House Run Derby would’ve suited his sport completely. A contest primarily based off of hitting batting follow meatballs? Had the sport been designed off of that concept and that concept alone, Wily Mo would’ve been extra like Willie Mays. He would’ve been the best athlete of all-time. I shake my fist on the man who awakened at some point and determined to invent the curveball, thus growing Wily Mo’s kryptonite.

I imply, simply watch this:

And even higher, this:

Wily Mo is my hero. On this different universe that we’re devising, he will get his flowers by way of a nod in our OTM HRD.

— Fitzy Mo Peña

Troy O’Leary

In 1999, O’Leary led the Crimson Sox with 28 regular-season residence runs.

In June, he hit a 413-foot residence run in Baltimore, proper out of the park and onto Eutaw Avenue. The Orioles have a reasonably cool custom of commemorating each of these home run balls with a plaque embedded proper within the pavement, within the precise spot the place the ball landed. It’s an unique membership—simply six Sox gamers have earned membership, for seven whole residence runs (David Ortiz, naturally, did it twice due to course he did). Watch that ball get out of there:

Then, throughout Sport 5 of the ALDS that yr, with Cleveland up by two, they determined to stroll Nomar so as to get to O’Leary. Regardless of that it loaded the bases; they favored their probabilities. (Although I’m unsure why, since he’d already whaled 28 within the common season.) And rattling, did he make them pay! He smacked the primary pitch he noticed 417 toes, claimed bragging rights for the primary grand slam in Crimson Sox postseason historical past, and gave Boston the lead.

Later within the sport, with the rating tied up, Cleveland unbelievably did the identical factor once more: walked Nomar to get to O’Leary. Historical past repeated itself, with O’Leary smacking the very first pitch over the fitting discipline fence once more, scoring three runs this time. You need to go all the way in which again to Mrs. O’Leary’s cow in Chicago to search out this a lot hearth! To not take something away from Pedro Martinez, however O’Leary’s efficiency is an enormous a part of why the Sox went on to the ALCS.

— Maura McGurk

Tris Speaker

Nobody mentioned the random participant needed to be dwelling, proper? (Ed. Be aware: No, however some somebody did say it couldn’t be a star participant, not to mention one of many best of all time. However since nearly nobody in America nonetheless is aware of who Spoke is, we’ll enable it.) Over his 22 yr profession Speaker, an outfielder, hit .345/.428/.500 and slugged 117 residence runs. I don’t care that the majority of these homers got here earlier than 1925 (or included a fair number of contained in the park homers). If something his expertise hitting within the first a part of the final century makes him the proper man to play in a Homer Run Derby! Heck, if the Crimson Sox existed earlier than 1901 there’s in all probability somebody from 1885 I’d take as an alternative. Simply lob it over to ol’Tris and he’ll do the remaining.

— Mike Carlucci

2024 Tyler O’Neill

I’m often one to moan about recency bias, however hear me out: the Canadian marvel, who’s had that ailing shoulder have an effect on his taking part in time as a member of the Orioles, hit 31 residence runs simply final yr for the Crimson Sox. He had the second-worst HR/RBI ratio since Rob Deer in 1992, behind Joey Gallo in 2017 (if we put an asterisk on Barry Bond’s historic 2001 season, that’s). He solely hit residence runs with no males on. You possibly can say that was a results of the Crimson Sox being fairly unhealthy at getting on the basepaths final yr, however take into consideration this: there’s NEVER any males on the basepaths within the House Run Derby!

And, lo and behold, he’s nonetheless doing the factor, simply in a unique uniform:

It’s a great factor they’ve a time restrict, as a result of he’d be up there all evening. I do know the Crimson Sox have a cluttered outfield already, however give me final yr’s O’Neill on this crew to moist the “no energy hitters” pallet that feels so current generally.

– Dean Roussel

Matt Stairs

Matt Stairs hit his first profession MLB residence run with the Boston Crimson Sox in 1995. It was the one residence run that he hit with Boston out of the 265 that he hit in his profession, which is an absolute disgrace. Stairs took one of the best pre-game batting follow that I’ve ever seen in my life at Camden Yards in Baltimore, whereas taking part in for the Oakland A’s. He peppered one towering moonshot after one other onto Eutaw Avenue, as I watched in awe as a center schooler. Stairs’ best second got here on the age of 40, hitting a kind of moonshots to win Sport 4 of the NLCS in 2008, and finally profitable his first ring with the Phillies.

Stairs by no means seemed like something greater than a slow-pitch softball participant, and but he performed till the age of 43, tallying 19 seasons within the massive leagues for 12 completely different groups. It ought to have been for one crew.

– Bob Osgood

Bobby Dalbec

In a 28-game stretch between August thirteenth and September seventeenth in 2021, Bobby Dalbec went deep twelve occasions and helped propel the Crimson Sox into their solely postseason look this decade. He supplied manufacturing when the crew was beginning to leak oil down the stretch, and was a part of a bunch that did simply sufficient to sneak right into a Wild Card spot and go on a memorable run to the ALCS.

Picture by Billie Weiss/Boston Crimson Sox/Getty Photographs

Sadly, Dalbec’s manufacturing late that summer season was very similar to the 2021 Crimson Sox publish season run itself: Extraordinarily enjoyable for a brief time period, however a whole zero in being a harbinger of the rest good. Dalbec couldn’t regulate again to main league pitching as soon as they adjusted to him, and his energy proved ineffective in a significant league setting over the lengthy haul.

Nevertheless, in a House Run Derby setting? Now we’re speaking! Dalbec wouldn’t have to fret about off-speed pitches, the sharp break of a slider, or the fastball altering ranges. It could simply be his uncooked energy on show, which he’s used to hit 149 residence runs within the minor leagues. He can his a baseball a mile, simply not with any regularity towards prime notch main league arms, which on this occasion, he received’t want to fret about.

– Matt Gross

Darren Lewis and/or Jeff Frye

Picture by MediaNews Group/Boston Herald by way of Getty Photographs

On June 14, 1999, the Crimson Sox hosted the Twins. I do know as a result of I used to be there. Trailing by one run coming into the underside of the ninth, the Sox had slap hitters Darren Lewis and Jeff Frye due up. All they might do is hit back-to-back homers to win it, which is outstanding as a result of they might mix for 3 on the season. I really marvel in the event that they (or their trendy equivalents) would even handle 1 within the Derby, and would love to search out out.

— Bryan Joiner

Franchy Cordero

Paul Rutherford-Imagn Photographs

The present residence run derby format rewards extra than simply pure energy. With the timer side, athleticism is a major a part of the occasion. No offense to Prince Fielder, however he in all probability isn’t profitable in right this moment’s format. To win this yr’s format, you want pull-side energy and the stamina to finish all three rounds.

Enter Franchy Cordero, the man who picked the fallacious sport. Franchy was a freak athlete at 6’3”, 225 kilos. He had among the greatest bat velocity within the league. In 2023, he solely took 15 swings, however his common bat velocity ranked fifth in baseball. Flash again just a few years earlier than bat velocity monitoring was launched, and his common dash velocity was within the 87th percentile. Franchy ought to have been an NFL vast receiver, however as an alternative struggled with swing choices and couldn’t be far more than a depth outfielder. He as soon as hit a ball 489 toes. Give him a pitcher who isn’t attempting to get him out, and he’d completely mash.

— Jacob Roy