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Stanton Ready For Home Run Derby If Invited

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Giancarlo Stanton says he's ready to bash some baseballs.

Whoever is chosen as this year's Home Run Derby captain just needs to ask the Marlins' monster masher.

"If I'm asked, I'll do it," the Marlins' slugger told C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer.

With a league-leading 25 home runs and average batted ball velocity of 97.82 mph, according to Baseball Savant, Stanton is considered by experts to be the best power hitter in the game right now.

This would be Stanton's second go around in the derby.

A season ago, the slugger hit six bombs in the first round, had a bye for the second but lost in a head-to-head third-round matchup against the Reds' Todd Frazier.

The All-Star game is being hosted at the Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati this summer, which makes Frazier is a perfect fit to be the National League's derby captain. It could make for a very interesting rematch between the two sluggers.

Last year the captains were named on June 23, so expect an announcement fairly soon.

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