The Home Run Derby spotlight almost fell on Fernando Tatis Jr. back in 2021. He had to take a step back, as he was already nursing a shoulder injury. When he turned the opportunity down, he was optimistic that more chances would come. “I feel like there’s going to be more chances for me to go.” And his intuitions were right. This weekend, he was named to the NL All-Star team. So, since he’s flying to Atlanta anyway, he might as well participate in the Home Run Derby, too, right?

Not it. But before diving into the reason, you should know that Tatis is nowhere near the top of the home run charts statistically in the 2025 season. With just 15 homers, he’s sitting at 39th place in this league.

Clearly, he’s way too far from Derby’s usual home run elite. While that’s not really the Home Run Derby’s requirement to be eligible, it was probably worth noting.

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There is something else that’s standing in his way of grabbing the spot in the HR Derby. Speaking on his participation chances, Tatis said, “I wish, but I’ve been getting cramps (around) my obliques, so I’m not going to take the chance. I feel like it’s more important for me to stay healthy. And now it’s going to be really three more months of baseball where we can turn things around and make this thing special.”

Well, Tatis can’t risk getting an oblique injury at this stretch of the season. After all, he was already hit by pitches multiple times this season. And Dodgers’ pitchers were on the other side several times.

Meanwhile, the San Diego Padres don’t have very high chances of making it to the playoffs. And as they rely on Tatis a lot, it will be a smart move to focus on the remainder of the season. Still, since he overall loves the idea of Derby night, he will make his debut next year if he gets approached.

Till then, want to catch up on other updates for the Derby night?

Home Run Derby 2025 updates

With just less than a week until the much-awaited Derby night, let’s catch up on the participants. The top two to first commit to the event were Ronald Acuna Jr. and Cal Raleigh. It’s exciting to have Raleigh on board since he’s leading the league with 35 home runs.

Yes, he is even ahead of home run phenom Aaron Judge. And speaking of Judge, he has unfortunately opted out this time.

Now, coming to the other one of the first to commit—Ronald Acuna Jr., he has hit nine home runs across 40 games. Moreover, he is just coming off an ACL injury. He will have one advantage, though. The Braves star will have his home crowd at Truist Park, Atlanta.

Another young phenom who will be joining is a 22-year-old Washington Nationals star, James Wood. With 23 home runs to his name, he has captured league-wide attention with his performance so far. This event is expected to be a good stage for a promising young phenom like him.

On the other hand, there are some who have even opted out after being approached. Starting with Phillies star Kyle Schwarber (22 home runs, 67 RBIs). He confirmed his absence this weekend. He is out this year but is looking forward to participating next year. That, too, if the All-Star takes place in Philadelphia.

Another shocking name that opted out was Pete Alonso. He’s a two-time HR Derby star. Since his debut in 2019, he has joined the event five times. However, this year, he plans on using this as a break to perform well in the second half. Well, that is most of the players’ reason for opting out. Lastly, you might already know that Yankees star Aaron Judge and Dodgers champion Shohei Ohtani will also pass this year.

Still, let’s not lose the excitement. The new faces will certainly create new history.