Giants ace Madison Bumgarner wants to participate in this year's All-Star festivities, but in a competition for which pitchers usually aren't considered for entry.
Bumgarner told ESPN's Buster Olney he's interested in showcasing his talents in the Home Run Derby. It came after Bumgarner put on a show during batting practice Sunday afternoon, launching one shot that reached the upper deck at Busch Stadium, so he wasn't kidding.
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Groundskeepers here said they have seen only one other player hit a ball where Bumgarner did, in highest deck -- Nelson Cruz, HR Derby.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) June 5, 2016
It isn't as far-fetched as some may think.
Though a pitcher, Bumgarner spends quite a bit of time working on his swing. He has hit 11 home runs in his past 190 at-bats — with two this year already — and his best season at the plate came in 2014, when he had a .258/.286/.470 slash line with four home runs and 15 RBIs.
There has been a lot of chatter about the National League adopting the designated hitter, but Bumgarner has been one of the main voices in favor of keeping pitchers at the plate.
As for the Derby, Giants manager Bruce Bochy wasn't having it.
“No, to be serious, I couldn’t let him do it,” Bochy said, via ESPN.com. “We couldn’t let him do it. I would (love to see it), too. And Bum, he’s convinced he could win it. I think he would wear himself down in the first round, he’d try to hit it so hard.”
It's clear Bumgarner can hit. However, it may be a stretch to enter him into a contest featuring the game's most prolific bashers.