Brent Rooker doesn’t plan to vary his method on the plate for the 2025 House Run Derby.
“Nearly each swing I’ve ever taken in my life, I’ve been making an attempt to hit a house run,” the Athletics slugger mentioned. “It’s not like I’ve to vary an excessive amount of in that regard, however I did get out right here early yesterday and received a really feel for a 3-minute spherical to type of really feel the timing of it.”
Rooker and New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. had been added Thursday to the checklist of derby members, finishing the eight-player discipline. The occasion will happen Monday night time in Atlanta forward of Tuesday night time’s All-Star Sport.
Rooker will grow to be the primary Athletics participant within the House Run Derby since Matt Olson in 2021.
“I feel it’s going to be enjoyable,” Rooker mentioned. “I’m trying ahead to it. As a child rising up, that was one of many highlights of the summer time was watching the House Run Derby and seeing the blokes take part.”
The 30-year-old Rooker entered Thursday with a .270 batting common, 19 homers and 50 RBIs, placing him on tempo for a 3rd straight season of at the least 30 homers. He went deep 30 occasions in 2023 and had 39 homers in 2024.
His 58 homers for the reason that begin of the 2024 season rank him third amongst American League gamers.
Joe Caruso, Rooker’s longtime youth coach, will pitch to him. A’s supervisor Mark Kotsay joked with Rooker that he ought to have requested him, however Rooker mentioned he “revered my supervisor’s four-day break.”
“You get the chance to go compete and present your skillset,” Kotsay mentioned. “Now we have all watched Rook hit homers, 39 of them final 12 months, so I feel it’s deserving that they chose him. It’ll be enjoyable to have one thing entertaining to look at on Monday night time.”
The one A’s gamers to win the derby had been Mark McGwire in 1992 and Yoenis Céspedes in 2013 and 2014.
Chisholm, a 27-year-old two-time All-Star, is making his first look within the derby and can grow to be the seventh totally different Yankees participant to take part. 5 have gained the occasion; Aaron Decide was the latest in 2017.
Acquired from the Miami Marlins final July, Chisholm started the day batting .250 with 17 homers and 43 RBIs in 62 video games this season. The left-handed hitter homered twice Wednesday night time towards Seattle and had seven dwelling runs in his final 12 video games. He had 10 homers since getting back from an indirect harm on June 3.
Chisholm was requested on Wednesday night time if he want to take part within the derby.
“I imply, in the event that they name me and ask me, I in all probability could be focused on doing it,” he mentioned.
The opposite scheduled members are 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 Wooden.
Reporting by The Related Press.
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