Jose Ramirez To Face Off Against Guardians Division Foe In Home Run Derby

Jose Ramirez of the Cleveland Guardians will go up against Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals in the Home Run Derby.

Jul 18, 2022; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez (11) hits in the first round during the 2022 Home Run Derby at Dodgers Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports / Gary Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The Home Run Derby is always one of the most anticipated events of the All-Star Break, and it’s easy to see why. There’s always extra drama and bragging rights surrounding the event, and some of the game’s best hitters in history have won the contest.

There’ll be a little extra at stake for Cleveland Guardians slugger Jose Ramirez this time around because of who he’ll go up against in the first round. 

J-Ram announced on Monday that he would compete in the contest for the second time in his career. The bracket for the contest came out on Wednesday night, and Ramirez is matched up with Kansas City Royals superstar Bobby Witt Jr. in round one.

The Guardians and Royals have had many battles on the field over the last few seasons, and Kansas City is a real contender to win the division once it’s all said and done in October. All of that makes this matchup that much more fun to watch.

MLB clearly tried to add a little extra spice with each matchup. For example, Baltimore Orioles’ Gunner Henderson and Texas Rangers’ Adolis Garcia went head-to-head in last year’s playoffs, and now they’re going up against one another in the derby. 

The 2024 #HRDerby field is set!

Who’s your winner?

(MLB x @TMobile) pic.twitter.com/SEO3KWiOLj

— MLB (@MLB) July 11, 2024

Ramirez may have a little bit of an advantage over Witt heading into the competition given that this isn’t J-Ram’s first derby.

He competed in the 2022 contest but was knocked out in the first round by Juan Soto, who went on to win the whole thing. This experience could give Ramirez a slight edge in knowing how to prepare and what to expect.

Jul 18, 2022; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez (11) hits in the first round during the 2022 Home Run Derby at Dodgers Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports / Gary Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Fans can watch the home run derby at 8:00 pm EST on July 15.