Home Run Derby 2018: Breaking Down Bracket's Top Participants

It has been a rough first half of the season for Bryce Harper, as the superstar from the Washington Nationals has struggled at the plate.

Harper has shown the ability to hit the long ball with 23 home runs and 54 runs batted in, but he is hitting just .214 and the Nationals are flailing in the National League East.

As disappointing as things have been for Harper, he is starting for the National League in the All-Star Game on Tuesday and competing in the Home Run Derby on Monday. A win in the long ball contest could be the first step for Harper to get back on track as he approaches free agency at the end of the season.

Harper is one of seven National Leaguers competing in the Derby, and he is the second seed in the event. Alex Bregman of the Houston Astros is the lone American Leaguer taking part in the contest, which will be held at Nationals Park at 8 p.m. ET. The Home Run Derby will be televised by ESPN.

Here's how the competition breaks down:

Bracket 1
(1) Jesus Aguilar, Milwaukee Brewers vs. (8) Rhys Hoskins, Philadelphia Phillies
(4) Alex Bregman, Houston Astros vs. (5) Kyle Schwarber, Chicago Cubs

Bracket 2
(2) Harper, Washington Nationals vs. (7) Freddie Freeman, Atlanta Braves
(3) Max Muncy, Los Angeles Dodgers vs. (6) Javier Baez, Chicago Cubs

Aguilar has come into his own this season and reached the All-Star break with 24 home runs and 70 RBI. Aguilar has a .298/.373/.621 slash line. In addition to providing power in the middle of the Brewers lineup, Aguilar has an outgoing personality and is often demonstrative after he hits a long ball. He is likely to be quite animated in the Derby and has an excellent chance to become a crowd favorite.

Aguilar will battle Hoskins in the first round, and the Phillies slugger is capable of getting on a hot streak. Hoskins has hit 14 home runs, but if he gets started early, he should be able to challenge Aguilar.

Bregman has hit 20 home runs for the Astros, and that's one more than he had all of last season. He has a .288/.389/.539 slash line and is clearly a key performer for the defending world champions. Bregman will start at third base for the American League in Tuesday night's All-Star Game.

The 24-year-old will have an uphill fight on his hands against Schwarber, who is one of the game's most explosive sluggers. Schwarber has hammered 18 homers to this point, and he has an excellent chance to hit the longest home runs of the night, based on the distance of some of his longest blasts.

While Harper has been struggling this year, Freeman has been one of the most consistent hitters in either league. Freeman has 16 home runs and 61 RBI to go with a .315/.405/.533 slash line, but he is more of a line-drive hitter than a long-ball one. 

Freeman makes it a point to hit nothing but line drives when he takes batting practice, but he should turn it on for the Derby.

Muncy is one of the top stories of the season, as he has earned a regular spot in the Dodgers lineup and has played a key role in the team's turnaround following a brutal start. Muncy has hit 22 home runs with a .604 slugging percentage.

Muncy will face one of the game's hottest and most explosive hitters in Baez. The Cubs' slick-fielding second baseman has belted 19 home runs and knocked in 72 runs, and he has two homers and seven RBI in his last six games.

Harper is the +225 favorite to win the event in front of his home fans, according to OddsShark. A $100 bet on Harper will give the bettor a $225 profit if he is successful. Schwarber is the +350 second choice, while Baez and Aguilar are listed at +500. Bregman is the outsider in the field at +1000.