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Stanton peppered Petco Park with baseballs en route to a Derby-record 61 homers. He logged the 10 longest home runs of the night, as well as the 20 hardest-hit blasts, topping out at 120.4 mph, per Statcast™. Harper, who hit 16 homers in the first two rounds, led off the final round.
Alonso edged out Guerrero in a thrilling final-round battle of rookie phenoms. Alonso not only won the Derby, but went on to hit a Major League-best 53 home runs in 2019. Those 53 homers were also the most by any rookie in big league history, eclipsing the mark previously set by Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge. Though Alonso raised the trophy, the highlight of the event may have come in the semifinals, when it took Guerrero three rounds of swing-offs to finally outlast Joc Pederson, 40-39.
Pedro Alvarez joins NL Home Run Derby squad
This Derby marked the debut of timed rounds with bonuses for distance. Since 1985, many of Major League Baseball's most prolific home run hitters have competed on the All-Star stage in the Home Run Derby. Below is a look at the history of baseball's annual slugfest, which has undergone a number of format changes throughout its 30-plus years. Cespedes didn't just impress with the sheer volume of homers that he hit.
In fact, this has happened to 32 of the 40 contestants in the past five years. Bryce Harper would emerge as a worthy adversary to Cespedes in the second round. He launched five home runs in a row at one point according to Mark Zuckerman of CSN. As Stark pointed out, he never went more than three pitches without hitting a home run. The 2013 Home Run Derby was filled with all the flair and fanfare that was expected, but the only thing not expected was the way the players performed, as there were a number of big surprises.
Derby history: Looking back at past slugfests
A player may also have a history of being a better first-half hitter than a second-half hitter. As Bleacher Report MLB lead writer Jason Catania noted on Monday, a wealth of players have experienced drop-offs after participating in the derby the past five years. Whether participating in the Home Run Derby affects a player's swing has long been debated. David Wright would complete the disappointing night for New Yorkers as he hit just five home runs to join Fielder, Cano and Alvarez as the bottom four to be eliminated. He went upper deck on his second home run and consistently set the ball in flight. According to ESPN Stats & Info, it was the third most home runs ever hit in the first round.
The outfielder smashed a line-drive homer on his first swing of the final round, and blasted his second homer of the round 411 feet on his third swing. The right-hander continued his power display, hitting his ninth homer with five outs to go. Fans were treated to a three-round showdown between two of baseball's most prolific home run hitters when Bonds defeated McGwire in the 1996 contest, which featured an expanded 10-player field. Bonds trailed by two homers with one out left in the finals, then homered on three straight swings for the win. Gonzalez will participate in his second career Home Run Derby following his debut in the event last year in Kansas City, when he hit four home runs. "CarGo" has an N.L.-leading 24 home runs this season, which is already just 10 shy of his career-high of 34 set in 2010, and his 119 career home runs rank eighth all-time in Rockies history.
Participants for the 2013 Chevrolet Home Run Derby announced
Judge, who set a new rookie home run record in 2017 , easily bested Sano in the finals and crushed four home runs further than 500 feet. He became the fourth Yankees player to win the derby, giving the New York franchise more winners than any other club. This year marked the first live Derby broadcast that did not feature ESPN broadcaster Chris Berman. Cespedes, who hit 23 homers in the first two rounds, stepped up to the plate after Harper.
Ripken won the Derby in the midst of his AL MVP Award-winning campaign. He was the first player to win the Derby and the All-Star MVP, as well as the first Derby winner to also homer in the All-Star Game. Abreu never hit more than 31 home runs in a season, but he topped that in one night, establishing new records with 41 total homers and a 24-homer first round for his native Venezuela. The eight players represented their home countries in 2005 as part of a promotion for the inaugural World Baseball Classic.
The AL team captain, Canó, selected Yoenis Céspedes of the Oakland Athletics, Chris Davis of the Baltimore Orioles, and Prince Fielder of the Detroit Tigers. The NL team captain, Wright, selected Michael Cuddyer and Carlos González of the Colorado Rockies, and Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals. González then withdrew due to a sprained finger and was replaced by Pedro Álvarez of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The story of the night heading into the 2022 Derby was Pete Alonso's quest for his third straight title.
This year featured six representatives from the AL and four from the NL. Making the second of five Derby appearances, Sosa came away with his only win in 2000. Before a home crowd in Cincinnati, Frazier edged past Dodgers rookie Pederson, 15-14, in the final round.
The colossal distance he got on the majority of them was outstanding. Was the last NL player to win the Derby as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers in 2009. Will be Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper and Colorado Rockies outfielders Carlos Gonzalez and Michael Cuddyer. Competitors who will join Cano include Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis and Detroit Tigers first baseman Prince Fielder. Robinson Cano rounded out the AL squad by adding A's outfielder Yoenis Cespedes.
The Oakland Athletics slugger got off to a dominant start to roll into the finals against the Washington Nationals' Bryce Harper, where he outslugged Harper in the championship round, 9-8. Cuddyer ripped eight more while Davis only hit four more, with both ultimately falling short. Harper, however, would power his way through with eight, almost catching the Oakland outfielder. Pittsburgh Pirates third basemen and National league leader in home runs, Pedro Alvarez hit six home runs and failed to advance.
A total of thirty-six races, with the first coming last year, gave Derby starters an opportunity to accumulate points towards an entry into the race. Twenty horses qualified for the Kentucky Derby with two other horses listed as "also eligible" in case one of the starters would be scratched prior to the opening of betting. Dave Parker won the first Home Run Derby in 1985, and since then many of the winners have been the biggest stars in baseball.
Anderson later became the second player to win the Derby and be named Most Valuable Player of the All-Star Game. While Morneau took home the night's top prize, Hamilton stole the show by belting a first-round record 28 home runs, including a run of 13 on consecutive swings. Harper, who has 13 home runs on the season, will compete in his first Home Run Derby and will become the second-youngest player ever to participate in the Derby behind Ken Griffey, Jr. . The two-time All-Star, who will also become the third-youngest player to start a Midsummer Classic, will become the first player in Nationals history to compete in the event.
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