The Home Run Derby, one of the best events of Major League Baseball’s season, crowned a new first-time winner on Monday night. And a team’s first-time winner.
The league introduced a handful of new rules for this year’s event, and while there weren’t as many home runs as in past years, there was still tons of excitement. Players needed to work fast in each round against a timer, but they had time in the bonus round to lock in and wait for their pitches. Pitching became especially important.
Two-time Derby champion Pete Alonso of the New York Mets surprisingly went down in the first round and finished with the second-fewest amount of home runs among all participants, only ahead of Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson, who entered the Derby with the most home runs in the league among participants with 28. That left the door wide open for the remaining six sluggers.
Home Run Derby First Round Results:
Alec Bohm, Philadelphia Phillies: 21 home runs
Jose Ramirez, Cleveland Guardians: 21 home runs
Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals: 20 home runs
Teoscar Hernandez, Los Angeles Dodgers: 19 home runs
Adolis Garcia, Texas Rangers: 18 home runs
Marcell Ozuna, Atlanta Braves: 16 home runs
Pete Alonso, New York Mets: 12 home runs
Gunnar Henderson, Baltimore Orioles: 11 home runs
Home Run Derby Semifinal Results:
Bohm, the surprising No. 1 seed after entering the Derby with the fewest regular-season home runs among all the participants (11), faced Hernandez in a battle of representatives of the National League’s two best teams.
On the other side of the bracket, it was a battle of American League Central superstars, as Ramirez and Witt Jr. faced off.
Jose Ramirez (2) vs Bobby Witt Jr. (3)
Witt Jr. went first and got off to a strong start, hitting 17 home runs before the bonus round. However, he got three straight outs in the bonus round, finishing the semifinals with 17 home runs.
Ramirez struggled in his second round matchup, hitting just 12 home runs before the bonus round. Ramirez then also recorded three straight outs in the bonus round, sending Witt Jr. to the Derby Finals.
Alec Bohm (1) vs. Teoscar Hernandez (4)
Hernandez went first in his semifinal and put up 13 home runs before the bonus round. He then got one more, finishing with 14 and putting Bohm in great position to move onto the Finals.
After struggling at first, Bohm got hot, and finished with 14 home runs before the bonus round. He needed just one home run in the bonus round to send him to the Finals — but he couldn’t make it happen.
So, Bohm and Hernandez went to a swing-off.
Each player got three swings, and the one who had more home runs at the end of it moved onto the Finals.
Hernandez went first and his swings were out, home run, home run. Bohm followed Hernandez and went out, home run, out, sending Hernandez to the Finals.
Home Run Derby Final Results:
Hernandez, coming off his clutch finish in the semifinals, faced off against Witt Jr., a Texas native who grew up just north of Arlington in Colleyville.
Bobby Witt Jr. vs. Teoscar Hernandez
Hernandez went first in the abbreviated two-minute, 27-pitch round, hitting 11 home runs before the bonus round. He then hit another three in the bonus round, finishing with a very impressive 14 home runs in the shortened Finals.
Witt Jr. then matched Hernandez with 11 home runs before the bonus round, and needed to do exactly what Hernandez did to at least force a swing off.
After getting back-to-back outs, Witt Jr. then hit back-to-back home runs and needed just one more to tie. Down to his last out, Witt Jr. crushed one but it bounced off the wall, giving Hernandez the win.
Hernandez is now the first Dodger to ever win the Derby.
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