WATCH: Joey Gallo & Matt Olson Square Off In Home Run Derby Preview
ARLINGTON, Texas — There is a lot of hype around this year's Home Run Derby—and for good reason. It's in Colorado, where the thin air allows baseballs to travel much further. The baseballs will be juiced, and they won't go in the humidifier beforehand. To top it off, some of the most notorious power hitters will be participating.
Prior to Saturday afternoon's contest at Globe Life Field, Texas Rangers right fielder Joey Gallo and Oakland A's first baseman Matt Olson took part in an impromptu Home Run Derby warmup.
Initially, Gallo and Rangers third base coach Tony Beasley—who will be throwing to him in Colorado—just wanted to get some work in the same set up at the Home Run Derby in two days. That means taking away the batting cage and having Beasley throw to a catcher.
"We wanted to have some type of game plan," Beasley said. "It's three minutes of hitting, which they don't do. [We also] wanted to get a feel for the fatigue part of it. Obviously, it's hard to simulate Colorado because the air is thin. But the balls will go further, so that's the good part."
Olson wandered over towards Gallo while he was hitting, and the Rangers slugger obliged for Olson to also get in some hacks. While the two didn't keep score, both hit some sizable home runs as members of both teams, along with some fans on a tour of the ballpark, cheered on the two sluggers.
Gallo blasted the longest homer, hitting the electronic ribbon in right field.
The two could be pitted against each other on Monday night at Coors Field if they win their first round matchups. As for who might win the whole thing, Joey Gallo is a favorite for some people, while many others believe Angels two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani will take home the hardware.
He's a little biased, but Rangers manager Chris Woodward didn't need any more than two words to predict who was going to win.
"Joey wins."
More on SI's Inside The Rangers:
- Rangers Mailbag: Who Will Texas Select With The No. 2 Pick?
- MLB Draft Preview: What Direction Might The Rangers Go At No. 2 Overall?
- Joey Gallo Happy To Do Home Run Derby In Rangers Uniform
- Rangers Draft Central: Everything You Need To Know Before Texas Picks No. 2 Overall
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