Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani Makes Likely Home Run Derby Decision
Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani Makes Likely Home Run Derby Decision originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The list of participants in the 2025 Home Run Derby is starting to take shape. While Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz and Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernandez have already declined invites to the competition, Seattle Mariners Cal Raleigh and Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. have accepted theirs.
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The players near the top of MLB's home run leaderboard are the ones who will likely receive invites next. And with 29 home runs on the season, Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani is second in the league in round-trippers behind Raleigh, who has 32.
Ohtani has participated in the Home Run Derby once in his eight-year career. In 2021, he matched up with then-Washington Nationals outfielder Juan Soto in the first round of the eight-batter event and was eliminated by a score of 31 to 28. He declined his invite last year, citing rehab from his elbow surgery during the 2023 offseason as the reasoning for his non-participation.
After the Dodgers' game against the Kansas City Royals on Saturday, during which he started on the mound and threw two scoreless innings, Ohtani confirmed that he likely will not be participating in this year's Home Run Derby.
"With the current rules in place, I don't think it's feasible for me to be able to compete well," Ohtani said through his interpreter Will Ireton, via Spectrum SportsNet LA.
Jun 26, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers third base coach Dino Ebel (91) congratulates Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) after his solo home run in the seventh inning at Coors Field. Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
The rules Ohtani are referring to were implemented for the first time during last year's edition of the tournament. ESPN's Buster Olney previously reported that Home Run Derby participants expressed concern about injuries due to the frequency of swings in a short period of time, so MLB placed a limit on the number of pitches thrown per round. There is a 40-pitch maximum in the first and second rounds and a 27-pitch maximum in the final round.
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Ohtani will still be participating in All-Star festivities in Atlanta, though, as he earned an automatic spot in the National League's starting lineup as the league's leading vote-getter. He earned 3,967,668 votes from fans.
Related: Dodgers Get Bad News on Potential All-Star Bullpen Addition
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 29, 2025, where it first appeared.
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