Who Should Represent Chicago Cubs at All-Star Game Home Run Derby?

With Patrick Wisdom on on the injured list, a potential berth in the All-Star Game's Home Run Derby may fall to this young outfielder.

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Now that Patrick Wisdom is on the injured list, the Chicago Cubs may have one fewer candidate for the Home Run Derby at the All-Star Game next month in Seattle.

But Christopher Morel might be a nice substitution — at least that’s how MLB.com sees it.

The site put together a Home Run Derby candidate for each team and Morel was the selection. It didn’t really take Wisdom’s trip to the IL into account. It was something else that caught the site’s eye:

Would you believe he has the best home run rate on this team by a pretty wide margin?

He does. He made his MLB debut last year and hit 16 home runs in 113 games. But this season Morel has played in just 30 games and has already hit 12 home runs. That’s a home run every 8.8 at-bats (just 106 at-bat this season).

The Cubs have a good history in the Home Run Derby, though a Cub hasn’t won the title since Sammy Sosa did it in 2000 in Atlanta.

Andre Dawson was the first Cub to win it, back in 1987 in Oakland. Three years later, Ryne Sandberg won it in at Wrigley Field.

Former Cubs slugger Kyle Schwarber didn’t win the title in 2018, but he hit 55 home runs, the eighth-most hit by any player in a Home Run Derby. 

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