- Pete Alonso became the first University of Florida player to win the MLB Home Run Derby, capturing titles in 2019 and 2021.
- Jac Caglianone, a former University of Florida player and 2024 No. 6 MLB draft pick, competes in the Derby with a team-best 15 home runs this season.
- Tavis Honeycutt of Newberry High School was one of eight players from around the country who participated the 10th anniversary of MLB hosting the High School Home Run Derby
The 2026 Major League Baseball (MLB) All-Star Home Run Derby is tonight at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia (8 p.m. ET on Netflix).
There are three names synonymous with the University of Florida baseball and the event.
Pete Alonso exploded on the MLB scene with back-to-back long ball titles in 2019 and 2021 (it was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic).
Alonso, who passed Darryl Strawberry (252 home runs) to become the New York Mets home run king in 2025, was the first and only Gator to win the MLB Home Run Derby.
Jeffrey Alan “Jac” Caglianone is one of eight MLB players in the 2026 field.
Could the former Gator be next?
The odds are against him, but he has a chance, along with Junior Caminero of the Rays, to become the youngest to ever win it.
Caglianone, who was the No. 6 overall pick by the Kansas City Royals in the 2024 MLB Draft, broke the all-time Florida home run records in a season (35) and career (75) during his 3-year run with UF. In fact, he broke his own record of 33 during the 2023 season with the Gators.
In 2024, he helped lead Florida to a spot in the College World Series Semifinals.
Last year as a rookie for the Royals, Cags had seven home runs in 210 at-bats and finished with six doubles, one triple and 18 runs batted in (RBI).
He has a team-best 15 home runs heading into the break and his 418-foot average distance per home run is tied for the longest in MLB.
Cags, who also has 15 doubles and 35 runs driven in, will have his father, Jeff, pitch to him tonight.
This won’t be the first time that the “Lumber Jac” will be competing in a home run contest.
He had 14 home runs over two rounds in the 2024 Arizona Fall League Home Run Derby. Garrett Martin (New York Yankees) hit 26 home runs across three rounds to win it.
Temperatures were in the 50s that night. It will be about 30 degrees warmer tonight.
The rules and format have been tweaked. There will be no timed sessions anymore.
It’s one of several changes, including that if a player hits a home run on his final swing of a round, he can keep swinging until he doesn’t hit one out. Alonso said he is a fan of the new format.
The payout is pretty good too, with a $1 million top prize.
But first, we’ll get the continuation of the High School Home Run Derby as Mississippi State commit Sullivan Reed (Lamar School, Mississippi) and Texas A&M commit Brady Cunningham (Brother Rice HS, Illinois) made the top two and will go head-to-head for the high school title.
This is the 10th anniversary of MLB hosting the High School Home Run Derby, which allows top high school prospects to showcase their power in a Major League ballpark.
This past Friday, during All-Star Week, Tavis Honeycutt of Newberry High School was one of eight players from around the country who participated in the high school competition.
Honeycutt, who was named Florida Dairy Farmers Class 2A Player of the Year, led the state of Florida in home runs (16) and slugging percentage (1.406) as a junior.
He ended up finishing fourth overall for the Mr. Baseball award, which is given to the top overall high school baseball player in the Sunshine State.
“Participating in the High School HR Derby was a really cool experience,” said Honeycutt, a University of Florida commit. “It was a lot of fun, and I am grateful to MLB Baseball for selecting me to hit in this event.”
Honeycutt got off to a great start by hitting 13 home runs in the 2-minute, 30-second opening round, but he only had four home runs in the 90-second second round.
“I felt like my first round went really well, but my second round I didn’t get enough good pitches, and I started trying to make things happen with what I was getting and time got me,” he said.
With 17 total home runs, he finished fourth overall behind Reed (23), Cunningham (20) and Jimmy Amplo of The Shipley School (Pennsylvania), who had 20 home runs too but lost to Cunningham in a 30-second tie breaker.
“I wish I had finished in the top two to experience hitting when the stadium is packed on Monday night with the Major Leaguers,” Honeycutt said.
He won’t be a part of history tonight, but the big leagues are certainly in his future.