The Home Run Derby is widely considered the highlight of professional baseball All-Star games, often described as a classic event of midsummer nights.

The competition, which features star sluggers representing professional leagues in South Korea, the United States, and Japan battling to see who can hit the most home runs, has historically captivated the eyes and ears of baseball fans.

A look at the prize money for this year's All-Star Home Run Derbies in Major League Baseball (MLB), Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), and the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) shows that MLB boasts an overwhelming amount at 1 million dollars (approximately 1.4966 billion won).

The MLB office awards 500,000 dollars to the runner-up of the Home Run Derby and 150,000 dollars each to the remaining six participants.

The batter who hits the longest home run receives 100,000 dollars.

Kang Baek-ho (Hanwha Eagles), who won the KBO All-Star Game Home Run Derby for the first time, received 10 million won in prize money along with a Bespoke AI Airdresser as a supplementary prize.

The winner of the NPB All-Star Game Home Run Derby, scheduled to be held from July 28 to 29, will take home 1 million yen (9.22 million won) in prize money and a new Nissan Kicks vehicle as a supplementary prize.

There is a massive gap in prize money for Home Run Derby winners between MLB, which prides itself as the top league in the world, and the KBO and NPB.

MLB does not provide separate prize money to the All-Star Game Most Valuable Player (MVP).

Instead, players include separate clauses in their contracts with their clubs to receive bonuses when they meet various conditions, such as being selected as an All-Star or winning the All-Star Game MVP.

Players on the winning team of the MLB All-Star Game receive 25,000 dollars (37.46 million won) each, in accordance with the MLB collective bargaining agreement.

The NPB awards 3 million yen (27.69 million won) in prize money to the All-Star MVP.

The NPB does not provide separate prize money to the winning team of the All-Star Game.

The KBO League provided a participation fee of 2 million won to players participating in the All-Star Game, while the MVP received 20 million won in prize money and a Bodyfriend massage chair 733 as a supplementary prize.

Additionally, the winning team shared 30 million won in prize money.

(Photo: Yonhap News)