The Daily Sweat: Can anyone knock off Pete Alonso in the Home Run Derby? – Yahoo Sports

Pete Alonso is a natural at MLB's Home Run Derby.

The New York Mets' first baseman has won the derby twice in a row and is the favorite at BetMGM to make it a three-peat. He is +155, the shortest odds on the board. No player has ever won three in a row. Ken Griffey Jr., who won in 1994, 1998 and 1999, is the only three-time winner.

There are a few reasons Alonso is good at the event. First, he's a tremendous power hitter. Go figure. He has a repeatable swing that's perfect for the event. Timing and being able to reset quickly is important, and Alonso is masterful at it. He also never seems to tire. He hit 57 homers to win the derby in 2019 and 74 last year (there was no Home Run Derby in 2020), including an incredible 35 in the first round. He basically turns into a home-run hitting metronome.

Another factor is that Alonso really wants to win. It's just a fun exhibition, but it's obvious Alonso really wants the trophy.

There was no point where I thought I was going to lose. Ever, Alonso said last year, according to MLB.com.

While Alonso is seemingly made for Home Run Derby, it's not like he's unbeatable. Right? Maybe we can find a decent value bet on a slow sports betting day.

Here are the odds for the Home Run Derby:

Pete Alonso +155

Kyle Schwarber +325

Juan Soto +600

Ronald Acuna Jr. +700

Julio Rodriguez +900

Corey Seager +1000

Jose Ramirez +1600

Albert Pujols +2200

There are also props on head-to-head matchups, who will hit the longest home run and over/under totals for each player. Gotta get the most out of the one sporting event on Monday's calendar.

I wouldn't mind a bet on any of the three young stars right in the middle: Soto, Acuna or Rodriguez. Rodriguez is having a monster rookie season for the Seattle Mariners and has plenty of power, and has the youthful energy to maintain a winning pace for the entire event. Soto and Acuna also have endless power and youthful enthusiasm.

I'll take a shot on Schwarber at a little longer than 3-to-1 odds. He was on fire for most of June, has tremendous power and came up just short in 2018, losing by one homer to future Philadelphia Phillies teammate Bryce Harper in the final round. He has ridiculous power and can match Alonso homer for homer.

Story continues

Or maybe he can't. Maybe nobody can. Alonso might become a one-man dynasty in Home Run Derby. it seems he'd like that.

Pete Alonso of the New York Mets is going for his third Home Run Derby title in a row. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)

Here's a first look at the sports betting slate for Monday:

Yeah. I know.

Nope.

The beauty of BetMGM's menu is there's always something to bet on. You can bet tennis, international soccer, get on the table tennis bandwagon ... you just might not be able to watch any of it. And you might know nothing about what you're betting on. It's the driest week of betting in the entire year. Thanks a lot for that November/December World Cup, FIFA.

Unless I'm taking Montenegro as a 1.5-point favorite in that under-20 European Championship basketball game against Germany, let's say Schwarber. Hurry up, football.

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The Daily Sweat: Can anyone knock off Pete Alonso in the Home Run Derby? - Yahoo Sports