This year’s Home Run Derby will take place at Globe Life Field on Monday, July 15 (08:00 PM Eastern time), and the first player to announce his participation in the tournament was Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson. But today Adolis García was also announced as a participant.
On the current season, ‘El Bombi’ as he is known by the Cuban faithful has hit 17 home runs and projects to reach at least 30 for the third time in his career. He hit a career high 39 longballs last year. For his career the native of Ciego de Ávila, Cuba has 114 dinger placing one behind of Alexei Ramírez on the all-time list for Cubans.
García will be participating in the Derby for the second consecutive time with the incentive of doing so at home and in a stadium in which he has hit 67 home runs. Last year he was eliminated in the first round by his countryman, Randy Arozarena, of the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Cuban will seek to become the fourth player to win the Home Run Derby in his home stadium, following Ryne Sandberg with the Cubs in 1990, Todd Frazier with the Reds in 2015 and Bryce Harper with the Nationals in 2018. He could also become the third player of Cuban heritage to win the contest, Yoenis Céspedes and Luis González are the others.
In addition, he would be the third Rangers’ player to win the derby, Rubén Sierra in 1989 and Juan González in 1993 are the others. In addition to the 39 home runs in the regular season last year, he also managed to hit eight more in the playoffs, including five in the American League Championship Series,