​Rewritten: Red Sox HR Derby History: Willson Contreras Joins David Ortiz and Jim Rice on a Star-Studded List, originally published by NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here. For the first time in 15 seasons, the Boston Red Sox will have a participant in the Home Run Derby. On July 8, it was announced that first baseman Willson Contreras would compete in the event at Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park on July 13. In this campaign, Contreras has hit 20 home runs in 306 at-bats, approaching his career high of 24, which he achieved with the Cubs in 2019. Contreras aims to become only the second player in franchise history to win the crown, following David Ortiz’s 2010 victory. Beyond Ortiz and Contreras, Boston has had relatively few Derby participants, but when they have taken part, they typically leave a lasting impact.
Here is a complete history of Red Sox players in the Home Run Derby, tracing back to the inaugural event in 1985. Contreras becomes the seventh Red Sox player to compete in the Home Run Derby, joining Jim Rice, who appeared at the first Derby in 1985. The list of participants includes: Jim Rice (1985, Metrodome), Mo Vaughn (1995, The Ballpark in Arlington), Nomar Garciaparra (1997, Jacobs Field), Nomar Garciaparra again (1999, Fenway Park), Carl Everett (2000, Turner Field), David Ortiz (2004, Minute Maid Park), David Ortiz (2005, Comerica Park), David Ortiz (2006, PNC Park), Adrian Gonzalez (2010, Angel Stadium), and David Ortiz again (2011, Chase Field). Willson Contreras is set to compete in 2026 at Citizens Bank Park, making him Boston’s latest entrant in the Derby.
As the original Metrodome host, Jim Rice stood out in the 1985 Derby—an era when Rice, competing in the event’s inaugural year, hit four home runs and tied for the American League lead with Eddie Murray and Carlton Fisk. Rice, the Red Sox’s first-round pick in the 1970s and a Hall of Famer, carried 65 career homers into the 1999 Derby at Fenway Park. Though he had only two home runs that day, the electric atmosphere whenever he came to the plate cemented his performance as a flagship moment in franchise history. Adrian Gonzalez later carried the rivalry with the Yankees to Chase Field, where he hit 20 home runs through the first two rounds, adding 11 more in the finals to finish as a runner-up—one of the most explosive showdowns in Derby history.
Ortiz stands as Boston’s most frequent Derby participant, appearing five times and amassing a franchise-record 77 Derby home runs, including his emotional 2010 crown in Anaheim. Whenever Ortiz played in the Derby, the event felt must-see television. In his Major League career, Ortiz ranks 17th all-time with 541 home runs and is second in Red Sox franchise history with 483 homers, trailing only Ted Williams’s 521. Ortiz also shattered the Red Sox’ single-season home-run record, launching 54 long balls in 2006, surpassing Jimmie Foxx’s 67-year-old franchise mark of 50 set in 1938. This rich Derby legacy underscores the Red Sox’ enduring impact on the event’s history, with Contreras poised to add another memorable chapter in 2026.