Marlins' Giancarlo Stanton to defend HR Derby title in home park

— -- Reigning T-Mobile Home Run Derby king Giancarlo Stanton will be back to defend his title. The Miami Marlins star has been confirmed as a competitor for this year's All-Star showcase.

Stanton, appearing on ESPN's Baseball Tonight, said that participating in the derby in his home stadium is "going to be so much fun. I'm really looking forward to it."

The Marlins will host the Midsummer Classic for the first time in franchise history.

Stanton had something of a home-field advantage last year. The Southern California native hit 61 shots over the three rounds of last year's derby, which was held at San Diego's Petco Park.

With the hometown Miami fans on his side, Stanton will look to improve upon his 2016 performance, in which he hit the 10 longest blasts of the exhibition.

The 27-year-old outfielder is tied for second on the NL home run leaderboard with 20, three behind Los Angeles Dodgers rookie Cody Bellinger.

The Home Run Derby will be held July 10 and televised on ESPN.