Twins third baseman Miguel Sano is ready to take part in his first All-Star Home Run Derby on Monday night.
Before leaving for Miami on Sunday with fellow American League All-Stars Ervin Santana and Brandon Kintzler, Sano said he received advice from Brian Dozier, who participated in the derby in 2014 at Target Field, to take his time and not waste energy. Sano has a fresh set of bats to use, including one painted in the colors of the AL All-Stars.
Sano, who said he has 21 friends and family members joining him, is not going to the derby just to show up.
"I go there for a win," he said after the Twins' 11-5 loss to Baltimore. "I don't go there for a loss."
The rules were different when Dozier participated, though. Back then, every batted ball that wasn't hit for a home run was considered an out.
Since 2015, the Home Run Derby has featured an eight-player bracket and a timer. Sano, the fifth seed, goes against Kansas City's Mike Moustakas in the first round, with the winner facing either Miami's Giancarlo Stanton or the Yankees' Gary Sanchez in the semifinals.
Each batter gets four minutes, with bonus time awarded on homers going at least 440 feet. Ties will be broken by a 60-second swing-off, with no additional time added. Batters can take one timeout in the first two rounds and two in the finals.
Stanton was given the No. 1 seed as defending champion. The other participants were seeded based on their home run totals through Wednesday. □
