Major League Baseball is getting sports fans excited for today?s Home Run Derby via a mobile game and promotion that runs through this week.

MLB Advanced Media, the interactive media and Internet arm of Major League Baseball, recently updated its Home Run Derby application that was launched last month. To spread the word about the app, MLB Advanced Media is launching a sweepstakes for fans this week.

?With this update, fans can choose from the just announced 2013 participants as well,? said Jamie Leece, vice president of gaming at MLB Advanced Media, New York.

?This allows our fans to participate in all the excitement leading up to and beyond Monday?s Home Run Derby at Citi Field,? he said.

At bat
The MLB Home Run Derby app lets consumers hit virtual home runs against all eight MLB players who are scheduled to play in today?s Home Run Derby. The game also creates a virtual stadium of New York?s Citi Field.

The game can be played in either single-player or multiplayer mode and gives fans the opportunity to reach high scores and unlock game upgrades.

In-app purchases are also included to give users the option to play with more content.

The game also includes all 24 players from the 2010, 2011 and 2012 Home Run Derby competitions.

As an incentive to get consumers to play the game, MLB is launching a sweepstakes that awards a lucky fan with a trip for two to the 2013 World Series in October.

Fans can participate by winning five multi-player matches through July 18.

Sports fans are increasingly expecting to do more than simply access scores in real-time from their favorite teams. Instead, consumers want their mobile and digital experiences to give them something extra that they cannot receive elsewhere, such as a game.

Another screenshot of the app

Mobile fans
MLB is increasingly taking its content and fan experiences mobile.

Most recently, MLB teamed up with pizza chain Domino?s on a mobile promotion to reward fans with free pizzas after a no-hitter game was played (see story).

Additionally, the company is seeing some success with its other mobile apps including its popular At Bat app.

In April, MLB rolled out its MLB At Bat app for BlackBerry Z10 smartphones and also updated its At The Ballpark, Beat The Streak Presented by Dunkin? Donuts apps (see story).

MLB also announced in April that its At Bat 12 mobile apps generate 800,000 live streams per day (see story).

?Our fans are the most passionate and engaged fans in sports, and we have learned with the overwhelming adoption of MLB.com At Bat that they want access to Major League Baseball everywhere and all the time.

?Mobile allows our fans to be one swipe or tap away from that experience,? he said.

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is associate reporter on Mobile Marketer, New York