Cubs’ Sierra competing in Home Run Derby

Published 9:08 am Friday, June 14, 2019

SOUTH BEND — The Midwest League has officially announced the participants that will compete in the 2019 Home Run Derby at Four Winds Field on Monday.

With the format set up in bracket style, four players from each division will be tested in the ultimate battle of power for a grand prize of $1,000 to the winner.

The field selected for this year’s Home Run Derby has the potential to make up one of the most competitive events in Midwest League history. The setup of the competition will be players battling against their own division for the first two rounds.

Each round will have a three-minute time limit for each athlete. The player with the most home runs in each head-to-head match-up will advance to the next round.

After the semi-finals, one Eastern Division player and one Western Division player will remain. Those two players will then compete in the championship for the prize money. Second place will also receive $500. The breakdown of the event is listed below:

Round 1: Eight players compete

Round 2: Four players compete

Round 3 (Championship): Two players compete

Here are the competitors:

Jonathan Sierra

Sierra was an international free agent signing of the Chicago Cubs in the 2015 signing period out of the Dominican Republic for $2.5 million.

Chris Betts

Betts was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays organization in the second round of the 2015 MLB Draft out of high school in California. Betts is another lefty with a ton of power and 11 home runs this season.

Niko Hulsizer

Hulsizer was the second player in Loons history to hit three home runs in one game on April 15 at South Bend. With 13 home runs this year, he is a leading candidate to win the Derby.

Jake Brodt

With eight home runs, Brodt has burst onto the scene in the Midwest League this year with the Lansing Lugnuts, an affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Nolan Gorman

Gorman was taken 19th overall by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2018 MLB Draft. As the winner of the 2018 MLB All-Star High School Home Run Derby.

Jerar Encarnacion

Encarnacion has already hit more home runs this season than his first two years of pro baseball in the Miami Marlins organization combined.

Chris Williams

The former Clemson Tiger Williams started his professional career last season by hitting 15 home runs in 62 games for the Minnesota Twins rookie-level affiliate.

Alek Thomas

Thomas is the son of Chicago White Sox Director of Strength and Conditioning Allen Thomas. The Chicago native was committed to play college baseball at TCU but was drafted in the second round by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2018.

The Home Run Derby is set to blast off at 7:30 p.m. on Monday night as a part of Fan Fest at the ballpark.

Story provided by Brendan King of the South Bend Cubs