Home Run Derby 2015: 3 players I'd love to see in the battle of the bats

Tim Lynch, of Southern Miss, leads the league with six home runs for Ocean State.
He hit nine home runs for the Golden Eagles this spring in 52 games. /USM photo

The NECBL All-Star game is always an exciting prospect showcase, with plenty of scouts showing up towatch the best of the best in the skills challenges. However, the home run derby has come up short since the juiced ball season. Last years winner, Blaise Salter, hit just seven over three rounds to win and Nate LaPointe hit 11 in Laconia two years ago.

Three years ago in Vermont, Danny Collins put on a show to win. He shattered a car's windshield beyond the left field fence as one of double-digit home runs. This year, the All-Star game is at Goodall Park, a stadium that measures 283' down the right field line and 321' down left (Wikipedia), so there is plenty of potential for big displays of power.

Here's three early picks for the NECBL home run derby.

Tim Lynch, Ocean State Waves
2015 HRs (NECBL Rank): 6 (1st)

This ones easy. The league leader in home runs, Lynch has piled up 19 hits in 17 games, 11 of which were for extra bases and six went long. The Waves are the hottest team in baseball right now (91°) and Lynch has been a big part of it with 12 RBIs. He hit nine home runs in 52 games with Southern Miss this spring, but has stepped it up this summer. Lynch put together a three-game home run streak earlier this summer and already went yard in Sanford.

Pat Madigan, Vermont Mountaineers
2015 HRs: 3 (T-3rd)

Madigan's hit three home runs, good for third in the league- in just 34 plate appearances. The Northeastern product has eight RBIs in 10 games since joining the Mountaineers. He only hit five home runs in 55 games for the Huskies, but is on pace for much more this summer. A home run derby berth is well deserved, as he's near the top of the leaderboards with players who have many more at bats then him.


Brent Rooker, Plymouth Pilgrims
2015 HRs: 5 (2nd)

Last year, Rooker finished in the top five of the league in home runs (7) and competed in the home run derby. He more then deserves another shot after not making the derby finals, as Rooker currently leads the league with a .433 average and has already slugged five home runs this summer. He leads the leauge with 17 RBIs and is assembling another excellent season for the Pilgrims. Rooker has 11 homers in 55 career NECBL games, way more then the two in 34 game pace.