Home Run Derby 2011 Preview: Prince Fielder

Prince Fielder is the captain of the NL squad in the 2011 Home Run Derby, so let us talk about him and his home runs!

Home Run Derby 2011 Preview: Rickie Weeks

Rickie Weeks was selected to participate in the 2011 Home Run Derby, because why wouldn't he be? So let's talk about his chances.

Home Run Derby 2011 Preview: Matt Kemp

The Los Angeles Dodgers are sending the best athlete to the 2011 Home Run Derby in Matt Kemp, but should that matter?

Home Run Derby 2011 Preview: Adrian Gonzalez

Adrian Gonzalez is quite familiar with Chase Field, having played 45 games there as a member of the San Diego Padres. How will that affect his Derby performance?

Home Run Derby 2011 Preview: David Ortiz

The Red Sox' David Ortiz, captain of the AL Home Run Derby squad, has made some interesting choices to be his teammates.

Home Run Derby 2011 Preview: Matt Holliday

Matt Holliday is in the Home Run Derby, even though he's more of a 25-homer guy rather than a slugger. How will he fare?

Home Run Derby 2011 Preview: Jose Bautista

It took a whole year, but the secret cabal that rules the Home Run Derby has decided, in its infinite and unquestioned wisdom, to give Major League Baseball's top home-run hitter a shot.

Home Run Derby 2011 Preview: Robinson Cano

Robinson Cano has never hit 30 home runs in a season, but there must be a perfectly good reason for his presence on the American League's Home Run Derby squad.

Home Run Derby 2011: The Least Likely Participants In All-Star History

This year's Home Run Derby will feature Jose Bautista and Prince Fielder, who have combined for 49 home runs this season, but there was once a participant who didn't hit that many for his career.

Home Run Derby 2011: Odds For Each Contestant

From Bodog we finally have what everyone has been waiting for: betting odds for the 2011 Home Run Derby.

Jose Bautista - 3/1
Prince Fielder - 7/2
David Ortiz -7/2
Matt Holliday - 4/1
Adrian Gonzalez - 7/1
Matt Kemp - 7/1
Robinson Cano - 15/2
Rickie Weeks - 12/1

This is a marked change from the 2007 Home Run Derby, which featured Bautista at ∞/3 odds. So based on the 2011 home run totals of the contestant...

Bautista - 28
Fielder - 22
Ortiz - 17
Holliday - 12
Gonzalez - 16
Kemp - 22
Cano - 14
Weeks - 15

... it looks like Kemp is a pretty decent bet. Of course, it's worth remembering that Garret Anderson -- who cracked the 30-homer barrier just once in his career -- won the 2003 Home Run Derby. These things are more than a little flukey.

This is the second year in a row that the Blue Jays have had a participant. Last year, Vernon Wells was selected. Jose Bautista didn't get a call. I'll just let you think about that one for a bit.

2011 Home Run Derby: AL, NL Captains Choose Rosters

For the 2011 MLB Home Run Derby to be held next Monday at Chase Field in Phoenix, site of the 2011 All-Star Game, the champions of the last two competitions, the Brewers' Prince Fielder and the Red Sox' David Ortiz, were named team captains and given the privilege of choosing up sides.

This is a trendy concept; the NHL All-Star teams this past season were chosen like a pick-up game. How long until the All-Star Game itself is done this way?

Anyway, Fielder chose the Dodgers' Matt Kemp, the Cardinals' Matt Holliday and his teammate Rickie Weeks to round out the NL squad. Kemp is leading the league in home runs with 22 (tied with the Cardinals' Lance Berkman), but Holliday, having missed some time, has only 10. Weeks has 15, but passed over were the Reds' Jay Bruce (18) and the Cubs' Carlos Pena (17).

Ortiz will also joined by a teammate, Adrian Gonzalez, as well as the major leagues' home run leader, Jose Bautista (28) and the Yankees' Robinson Cano, who has 14 dingers. Left out were Yankees Mark Teixeira (25) and Curtis Granderson (23). Rules of the Derby are as follows:

All participants get 10 outs per round, with the four players with the most homers advancing to a second round. The two players with the highest cumulative number of long balls after the second round advance to the Championship Round, where first and second-round homers do not carry over.

The Home Run Derby, which will generate charitable donations to Boys & Girls Clubs of America as well as charities chosen by Fielder and Ortiz, will take place Monday at 8 p.m. ET and be televised on ESPN.