ARLINGTON, Texas — In their long history, Los Angeles Dodgers No other player had ever won the Home Run Derby.
Teoscar Hernandez That changed on Monday night.
At 31, Hernandez outlasted the Kansas City star. Bobby Witt Jr.They survived a final swing from Witt that scraped the wall, winning the final 14-13.
Hernandez signed a one-year free agent contract with the Dodgers this winter and has proven to be a valuable piece in a lineup that includes stars. Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie FreemanAnd a year later, his friend and former teammate Vladimir Guerrero Jr.It was Hernandez’s first Derby victory, making him just the seventh Dominican-born horse to win the title.
The event’s new format limited the number of balls attendees could watch in each round, but the early going did little to excite the 38,578 fans at Globe Life Field. Then came the final, where Witt nearly overcame a torrid start from Hernandez but fell just short by about a foot.
Witt, who grew up 20 minutes from Globe Life Field, won the High School Home Run Derby at the All-Star Game in Washington, D.C., six years ago and seemed a sure bet on Monday to win. In the new format, players watch up to 40 pitches in three minutes and can hit as many home runs as they can before missing three in a bonus round. In the final, the time is shortened to two minutes and the number of pitches is 27. Witt finished the round with 11 home runs.
He hit two home runs in bonus time, one of which went over 425 feet to add another out, and then came close to tying the game on his final swing, but the ball bounced off the center field fence and Hernandez earned himself the win and the $1 million prize.
Hernandez survived a swing-off in the semifinals. Alec BohmThe Philadelphia third baseman hit 21 of 40 pitches in the first round, the most home runs in a single round.
Bohm, Witt, Hernandez, Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose RamirezTwo-time Derby winner Pete Alonso Atlanta Marcel OzunaBaltimore Gunnar Henderson And a local favorite Adoris Garcia of Texas Rangers.
In the semifinals, Witt started slowly but rallied from start to finish, hitting 17 home runs and giving Ramirez a shot at the finals. He also stumbled early in the round and never recovered, hitting 12 home runs and zero bonus ball home runs.
Before the final moment, the most intriguing moment came when, in the other semifinal, Hernandez beat Bohm with a swing-off after the round was tied at 14-14.
Hernandez homered on the second and third pitches of the game, swinging off the plate. Bohm hit the second pitch to left field for the out, but the third pitch, swinging, landed softly in the outfield grass, and the 31-year-old two-time All-Star advanced to the finals and was ultimately crowned Home Run Derby champion.
