Perfect Storm Gives 2017 Home Run Derby the Stage to Be Most Electrifying Ever

As recently as 2015, we were using words like "stale" to describe MLB's annual Home Run Derby.

Ratings were declining and interest was waning. Most damningly, some of the game's biggest bashers were opting out.

I wrote at the time, "For at least the last several years, the whole affair has felt anticlimactic, more a going-through-the-motions tradition than a must-see event."

This summer, however, a perfect storm of factors is blowing it toward relevance. In fact, if all goes well, it could eclipse the All-Star Game in terms of eyeballs and social media chatter to become the most electric Derby ever.

First, the bracket:

That's a lot of thump, and more importantly, a lot of young thump. Rather than a gaggle of aging sluggers or mid-tier mashers, the 2017 Derby will showcase some of baseball's brightest rising stars.

There are other, more specific reasons why it will be appointment viewing. Let's examine them.

Gary Sanchez vs. Logan Morrison

In case you don't know the backstory, New York Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez was tapped to compete in the Derby, while the Tampa Bay Rays' Logan Morrison was not.

Morrison voiced his displeasure—to put it mildly.

"Gary shouldn't be there. Gary's a great player, but he shouldn't be in the Home Run Derby," the Rays first baseman said, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. "I remember when I had 14 home runs. That was a month-and-a-half ago."

Not to get technical, but Sanchez actually has 13 home runs.

Adam Hunger/Getty Images

For his part, the Yankees backstop offered a succinct reply. 

"It's not my fault he didn't get selected," Sanchez said, per ESPN.com. Boom, mic drop.

He's absolutely right. The best revenge will be blasting a bunch of dingers in Miami while Morrison—who was hoping to squeak on to the AL squad via the final fan vote—watches from the sideline.

The Cody Bellinger Show

We'll get to the main tater-slinging rookie in a moment, but let's pause to give Cody Bellinger his due.

The Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman/outfielder has burst on to the Senior Circuit scene with 24 homers in 65 games, good for a share of the NL lead. 

Fellow Dodgers Joc Pederson and Corey Seager took part in the Derby in 2015 and 2016, respectively. The former lost in the final stage, while the latter was bounced in the first round.

Denis Poroy/Getty Images

Might Bellinger redeem his teammates and bring a Derby win to Southern California? 

That's to be determined. He's already the first Dodgers position player to make the All-Star roster in his rookie season, per ESPN Stats & Info, so tally that as a feather in his cap.

Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton: Separated at Birth?

Glance at that bracket: Let's assume the Miami Marlins' Giancarlo Stanton knocks off Sanchez in the first round and then beats the winner of the Miguel Sano/Mike Moustakas showdown.

And let's further speculate that New York Yankees rookie Aaron Judge defeats Miami's Justin Bour and the winner of the Bellinger/Charlie Blackmon battle.

That leaves a final round pitting Stanton against Judge. Anyone with eyeballs will notice the physical resemblance between the two men, and that includes Stanton.

"It's like the twin you've never met, I guess," the Marlins right fielder said of Judge, per Tim Healey of the Sun-Sentinel.

For the record, Stanton checks in at 6'6" and 245 pounds, while Judge is 6'7" and 282 pounds. The doppelganger angle holds, however. This would be a clash of lookalike titans.

Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

Stanton, the reigning Derby king, against Judge, baseball's big bopper du jour. 

And it would be set to the backdrop of MLB's home run renaissance. So far this season, pitchers are allowing more homers per nine innings than at any point since 1900, per FanGraphs.

That includes the height of the steroid era, when the likes of Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa took part in the Derby. (As did, it must be noted, three-time winner Ken Griffey Jr., who was never convincingly accused of using performance-enhancing drugs.)

Now, with the long ball launching a comeback and compelling narratives whizzing around like so many batting-practice bombs, this Derby could be the one that outdistances them all.

It's only been around since 1985 and has never evolved beyond a novelty exhibition. This year, however, the Midsummer Classic won't determine home-field advantage in the World Series, and home runs are sexy again.

July 10 in South Beach may be a turning point. The bombs could fly. The personalities should soar. And an event that was recently stale might morph into the main course. 

All statistics current as of Wednesday and courtesy of MLB.com and FanGraphs.