Former Home Run Derby participant discusses why MLB All-Star festivities are the best in sports

The unofficial halfway constituent of the MLB play is already here, and fans each implicit the state volition beryllium tuned into 1 of baseball’s spectacles connected Monday night.

This year’s Home Run Derby, however, mightiness beryllium the most-viewed ever, arsenic it volition beryllium streamed connected Netflix.

"It's going to beryllium fun. It's going to beryllium truly exciting. What they're doing to our sport, getting fundamentally worldwide recognition. Fans that possibly aren't funny successful shot spot that it's connected Netflix and think, ‘Hey, I'm gonna ticker this.’ So, we person a truly bully accidental to bring shot to viewers that don't needfully spot it connected a regular basis," erstwhile All-Star and Derby subordinate Anthony Rizzo, who is simply a Netflix expert for the event, said precocious to Fox News Digital.

CITY OF PHILADELPHIA MAY HAVE LEAKED SOME MLB ALL-STARS HOURS BEFORE THE BIG ANNOUNCEMENT

Chicago Cubs archetypal baseman Anthony Rizzo bats during the Gillette Home Run Derby presented by Head & Shoulders astatine Great American Ball Park successful Cincinnati, Ohio. (Elsa/Getty Images)

"They bring stardom everywhere. Everything they do, Netflix is archetypal class. So, I'm excited for the guests we're going to person on, the shot players, the celebrities, the full shebang."

In an epoch wherever All-Star Games person turned into simply cautious scrimmages, baseball’s remains different, arsenic 100 mph fastballs with devastating breaking balls are inactive constant.

"I deliberation erstwhile you get betwixt the lines, it's each amusive and games until the crippled starts. It's inactive relaxed and fun, but erstwhile you're successful the container oregon connected defense, it's precise competitive. You privation to instrumentality the feline deep, you privation to get a hit, you privation to showcase your All-Star endowment connected the nationalist stage. If you get out, it doesn't substance arsenic much. If you get a hit, it doesn't substance arsenic much. But it feels bully to execute astatine the All-Star Game," Rizzo said.

One All-Star improvement successful the NBA’s Dunk Contest unarguably has been watered down owed to the information that simply the game’s stars don’t participate. But that is not the lawsuit with the Home Run Derby, adjacent with the exhaustion it brings.

Anthony Rizzo of the Chicago Cubs bats during the Gillette Home Run Derby astatine Great American Ball Park successful Cincinnati, Ohio. (Rob Carr/Getty Images)

FORMER SAVANNAH BANANAS PLAYER NAMED MLB ALL-STAR HOURS AFTER HITTING FOR CYCLE AS A ROOKIE

"I've done the Derby myself, and I was sore for a week afterward conscionable due to the fact that of however hard I was swinging. So, you've truly got to measure wherever you're astatine physically and mentally. It's mentally grueling, too. The magnitude and the emotion that spell into the Derby and the All-Star Game are intense, and past 2 days aboriginal you're backmost playing. So, you've conscionable got to cognize yourself," said Rizzo.

But Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Junior Caminero, and Ben Rice are conscionable immoderate of the apical names that volition beryllium successful Philadelphia attempting to deed arsenic galore location runs successful 20 swings each round.

"The Derby brings adrenaline that you're conscionable not utilized to having successful July," Rizzo said.

"You privation the large stars successful it each the time. It's besides truly bully for young players to showcase themselves. I don't deliberation the crippled volition ever shy distant from it, and the inducement to triumph present is higher than it's ever been. To deed a fewer location runs implicit a mates of hours and triumph 7 figures is simply a beauteous bully outcome, for sure."

The break, Rizzo inclined, has the imaginable to beryllium 1 of the champion ever.

"I deliberation it's conscionable truthful hard to beryllium an All-Star each year. What goes into being an All-Star successful Major League Baseball, particularly arsenic a presumption player, is you're not conscionable going to rotation retired determination and deed 20 to 30 location runs by the All-Star interruption and person a .280 to .300 average. There's truthful overmuch enactment that goes into it," helium said.

Chicago Cubs archetypal baseman Anthony Rizzo looks connected during batting signifier earlier the 86th MLB All-Star Game astatine Great American Ball Park successful Cincinnati, Ohio. (Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

"Then you get to bask and observe that infinitesimal with each your peers who person besides had a large archetypal half. The Home Run Derby is awesome. It's successful Philly, and I consciousness similar Philly close present is conscionable connected fire. The Phillies person wholly turned their play astir and are looking similar World Series contenders again. It's America's 250th birthday, the World Cup is coming, and everything's going close right now. Philly, the Home Run Derby there, the All-Star Game, I would ideate the city's going to beryllium rocking."

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports sum connected X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.