Braves’ Ronald Acuna Jr. Announces He’ll Participate in 2022 MLB Home Run Derby

Atlanta Braves slugger Ronald Acuna Jr. announced on his Instagram story Monday that he would be participating in this year's Home Run Derby at Dodger Stadium.

Acuna last participated in the Derby in 2019, reaching the semifinals.

The player who eliminated Acuna in 2019 and ultimately won that iteration of the Derby, Pete Alonso, confirmed his participation for this year's event on Monday as well. Alonso is the two-time defending champion.

The Home Run Derby will take place Monday, July 18, at 8 p.m. ET (ESPN).

Acuna, 24, is hitting .274 with eight homers and 22 RBI in 53 games this season after recovering from a torn ACL that cut his 2021 campaign short. He had 24 home runs through half the season last year and has 113 career homers through 448 games across parts of five seasons.

He is already a three-time All-Star, clinching an automatic berth in this year's Midsummer Classic after receiving the most votes in the National League in the first phase of voting.

Per Mark Bowman of MLB.com: "Acuna has hit 13 homers 450 feet or longer going back to his 2018 rookie season. The Rockies’ C.J. Cron (14) is the only player to trump this total within this span. But Acuna’s homers have averaged 416 feet, which leads the Majors going back to his debut."