2012 Home Run Derby Contestants: Predicting Home Run Totals for Each Player

The All-Star Game may be fun, but there's something especially enjoyable about watching the Home Run Derby.

Like the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, it's one of those fun summer traditions that you can't help but watch each year, even as it becomes more of a spectacle. Chicks may dig the long ball, but dudes certainly like watching them too.

This year's field is pretty stacked, with past winners of the derby and some of the elite, young power hitters in baseball today squaring off. Below, I've laid out my predictions for the total home runs each player will hit, while also providing my pick for this year's winner.

Carlos Gonzalez: 2

"Cargo" is having a heck of a season for the Rockies, and he is capable of bopping a few. But he doesn't strike me as a pure power hitter; he's more so a great hitter with some power. Those guys tend to struggle at the derby.

Carlos Beltran: 3

See Gonzalez, Carlos.

Andrew McCutchen: 3

Andrew McCutchen is a fantastic player, and he's shown good pop this season, accumulating 16 home runs and 56 RBI. But like Gonzalez, McCutchen is an excellent hitter with power, rather than a pure power hitter. That will work against him at the derby.

Matt Kemp: 4

Two things work against Kemp at the derby. First, he's coming off an injury, which should make him very rusty for this competition.

Second, he struggled at the derby last year, managing just two home runs in a first-round exit. At least he'll double his total from a year ago.

Mark Trumbo: 10

I don't doubt Mr. Trumbo's power, but I do think he might struggle with the pressure in his first derby, especially with so many elite hitters in the field. Trumbo may not hit many in this contest, but when he does connect, they will be absolute bombs.

Jose Bautista: 12

If this contest was purely about volume of home runs during the season, Bautista would be the clear-cut favorite after bashing 26 dingers in the first half. He's clearly baseball's elite home run hitter at this point.

But this contest is more about strength, endurance and rhythm. Bautista didn't make it past the first round last year, and while I think he'll make it further than that this year, it won't be enough to send him to the finals.

Robinson Cano: 33

Cano proved he was a force to be reckoned with after winning this competition last year. His consistent, easy power and smooth swing will have him in the finals once again.

But he'll fall just short this year, because...

Prince Fielder: 34

...The compact, powerful swing of Prince Fielder will win the day.

Fielder is another veteran of this competition, as this is his fourth Home Run Derby. He won in 2009. In an epic final of past winners, he'll just edge out Cano to take home this year's crown.

Hit me up on Twitter—my tweets want Dwight Howard to just get traded already, too.