Pete Alonso will participate in his fifth straight Home Run Derby, with the New York Mets first baseman trying to win for the third time.
Baltimore’s Gunnar Henderson and Philadelphia‘s Alec Bohm also have committed to the July 15 event at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
Alonso made the announcement Sunday night on Instagram.
Ken Griffey Jr. is the only three-time champion of the derby, whichstarted in 1985, winning in 1994, 1998 and 1999.
Alonso won the competition in 2019 as a rookie of Cleveland’s Progressive Field, edging Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 23-22 in the final round, then repeated in 2021 at Denver’s Coors Field, beating Baltimore’s Trey Mancini by the same score. There was no derby in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Alonso was eliminated by Seattle’s Julio Rodríguez in the 2022 semifinals at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Juan Soto, then of Washington, went on to win.
Alonso was knocked out 41-21 by Rodríguez last year at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park, where Guerrero took the title and joined Vladimir Sr. (2007) to become the first father-son duo to accomplish the feat.