Home Run Derby 2015: New Format, Participants and Predictions

Major League Baseball's All-Star Weekend is upon us in a tradition that has been ingrained into the fabric of the game over the past 86 years. 

While the game itself is important in that it decides which side gets home-field advantage in the World Series, plenty of attention will be focused on the night before on Monday, July 13, with the Home Run Derby in its brand-new format. 

There will be no shortage of power in this year's edition, as some of the biggest home run hitters will be testing the limits of Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio. Here is a look at this year's participants, the layout of the competition and a prediction of this year's winner. 

Player	Team	2015 HR	Career HR
Anthony Rizzo	Chicago Cubs	16	87
Todd Frazier	Cincinnati Reds	25	98
Kris Bryant	Chicago Cubs	12	12
Joc Pederson	Los Angeles Dodgers	20	20
Albert Pujols	Los Angeles Angels	26	546
Josh Donaldson	Toronto Blue Jays	21	84
Prince Fielder	Texas Rangers	13	301
Manny Machado	Baltimore Orioles	18	51

This year's Home Run Derby is going to be different from all the rest, as the MLB will be experimenting with a new format.

The participants are seeded from one through eight and will partake in single-elimination rounds against their opponent:

Albert Pujols (1) vs. Kris Bryant (8)

Joc Pederson (4) vs. Manny Machado (5)

Josh Donaldson (3) vs. Anthony Rizzo (6)

Todd Frazier (2) vs. Prince Fielder (7)

Seeds courtesy of ESPN.com

There will not be a 10-out format like derbies past. Instead, each player will get five minutes per round, with the clock starting when the first pitch is delivered.

The only way the clock is stopped is if a player hits a home run in the final minute of their round. It will not start up again until the next non-home run. Batters are also able to achieve some bonus time, as MLB.com explains:

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Contestants will receive an additional minute of swings if they hit two home runs projected to land 420 feet during a single turn, as well as another 30 seconds if they hit a blast of at least 475 feet. All distances will be measured using Statcast™.

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Each batter is also allowed to take one 45-second timeout in each round.

In the result of a tie between two opponents after their five minutes, a "90-second swing-off," as MLB.com explains it, will be used to decide who moves on to the next round. There will be no extra time awarded in the tie-breaker.

Who Wins: Albert Pujols

There's a lot of inexperience in this bracket, and Albert Pujols is set to face the bulk of it. He has Cubs rookie Kris Bryant in the first round, and if he is able to get by him, he could have another rookie in Joc Pederson waiting in the second round. 

Pujols' ability to hit to all corners of the park certainly will help him. Great American Ball Park is a hitter's park. At 328 feet down the left field line, dead-pull hitters should have no problem getting the ball out of the park. 

But Pujols can go the other way and has tremendous power to the power alleys and center field. Cincinnati's home does not have the deepest fences. It's 379 feet to left-center, 370 to right-center and 404 to center field.

This will be Pujols' fourth Home Run Derby, and he's title-less, which will be motivation enough to shine. Prince Fielder, the 2009 champion, will also be in the field and could prove to be the biggest threat to Pujols' chances. But he has proven in the past that he can be either feast or famine at the derby.

The hometown favorite, Todd Frazier, might be feeling the pressure of succeeding in front of his own fans. It's very possible that you'll see him, along with the rookies over-swinging as they try to wow the masses. 

Expect Pujols to pace the pack and win this tournament, beating Josh Donaldson in the final.