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Major League Baseball is taking a break from regular season action this week as the MLB All-Star Game heads to Washington D.C. The Capital City will have some representation in the nation's capital as the biggest stars in baseball celebrate America's pass time.
For the second straight year, the Home Run Derby will have some local flare. Last year, Linden native and Yankees star Aaron Judge powered his way to the Derby championship with 47 dingers. Sadly, the reigning American League Rookie of the Year will not be back to defend his title.
This year, Sacramento native and Phillies slugger Rhys Hoskins is looking to claim the Home Run Derby championship from Judge to keep the title in Northern California.
Hoskins, a Jesuit High School and Sacramento State baseball product, has 14 longballs in his first, full big league season and 32 home runs for his career. The 25-year-old made his big league debut in August 2017 and made Major League Baseball history by becoming the fastest player to 18 home runs, needing just 34 games to reach that mark. This season, the Phillies outfielder has four home runs at Nationals Park, which matches the most by a visitor since 2017.
Hoskins is the eighth seed in the Home Run Derby bracket and he'll be going up against the top seed, Milwaukee's Jesus Aguilar in the first round. Aguilar is tied for sixth among league home run leaders with 24 on the season. If Hoskins bests Aguilar to advance in the Home Run Derby, he will face the winner of the matchup between Houston's Alex Bregman and Cubs outfielder Kyle Schwarber in the semifinals. However, this year's Home Run Derby seems like Bryce Harper's to lose as the Nationals' star goes up against the Atlanta's Freddie Freeman. Should Harper advance, he will go up against either the Dodgers' Max Muncy or another Cub, Javier Baez.
While Monday's Home Run Derby is one of the highlights of the week, the MLB All-Star Game festivities began Sunday in Washington D.C. with the 2018 MLB Futures game, featuring the top baseball prospects from around the world. The Futures Game features American-born players on Team USA versus a Team World roster with players from more than seven different countries.
One of the members of Team USA was Elk Grove's Matt Manning, a 6-foot-6-inch right handed pitcher with a fastball that can reach 95 mph. The Sheldon High School product was drafted ninth overall by the Tigers in 2016, earning a $3.5 million signing bonus. Manning is currently with the Tigers' High-A affiliate in Lakeland, Fla., and is listed as one of the club's top two prospects. According to MLB.com, "Manning has as much, if not more, upside than any pitcher in the Tigers system."
The local product took the mound in the fifth inning of Sunday's MLB Futures Game, giving up one home run to Dodgers prospect Yusniel Diaz and striking out two batters in 1 1/3 innings of work.
There was also a coach with local ties in the Futures Game as Sacramento native and former AL Manager of the Year, Jerry Manuel, served as the bench coach for Team World. Manuel currently serves as a MLB Baseball Development Consultant, working with young players in our region and beyond to help grow the game.
You can watch Hoskins in the Home Run Derby on Monday, July 16, at 5 p.m. ESPN.