Red Sox 1B Willson Contreras Enters 2026 MLB Home Run Derby, Full List of Confirmed Participants

Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras will make his MLB Home Run Derby debut next week in Philadelphia.

Netflix announced Wednesday that Contreras will be participating in the event next Monday at 8 p.m. ET.

Other confirmed participants at this year's Home Run Derby include the Kansas City Royals' Jac Caglianone, New York Yankees' Ben Rice and Tampa Bay Rays' Junior Caminero.

The news comes one day after Contreras was named to the AL All-Star team as a reserve replacement for the Toronto Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

He told MassLive's Chris Cotillo and Sean McAdam shortly after receiving the news of his All-Star nod that MLB had invited him to participate in the Home Run Derby.

"They asked me if I wanted to and I said 'Yeah," Contreras told Cotillo and McAdam.

The Red Sox last sent a participant to the Home Run Derby in 2011, when the New York Yankees' Robinson Cano beat out Adrian Gonzalez for the title.

Contreras, who has 20 home runs in 87 games this season, will now look to become the first Red Sox player since David Ortiz in 2010 to win the event.

Also announced as a first-time participant on Wednesday was Caglianone, who was not named to an All-Star roster. He has hit 14 home runs in 85 games with the Royals this season.

Already on the participants list were Rice and Caminero, who have each recorded 26 home runs so far this season.

Four more batters will be announced by Monday to fill out the eight-person competition.

Philadelphia Phillies stars Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper have both indicated they are considering participating. The Colorado Rockies made their case Wednesday for Hunter Goodman to get another available spot.

The Derby is operating under new rules this summer. Instead of a time limit, participants only get a certain number of swings before they have to either hit another home run or stop.

Players get 20 swings in the first round, which features a tiebreak of home run distance, and 15 swings in each of the final two rounds, during which any ties are broken by a three-try swing-off.

The new-look Home Run Derby will take place the day before the All-Star Game kicks off on Tuesday at Citizens Bank Park.