2023 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby- Going Yard and Taking Names!
These guys just crush it!! The 2023 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby was a showdown like no other. Fun times. Family event. With homers flying all over the field.
Who was invited to participate this year? The athletes are as follows:
- Luis Robert Jr.
- Pete Alonso
- Mookie Betts
- Adolis Garcia
- Randy Arozarena
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
- Julio Rodriguez
- Adley Rutschman (the only left handed batter in the contest this year)
Fan favorite Tampa Bay Rays Randy Arozarena kicks off the night strong with 10 home runs before needing a timeout break. The power hitter finishes his first round smashing with 24! Yes, 24 home run balls leaving the yard.
Adley Rutschman also impresses with his first round appearance. With his father pitching to him, Rutschman blasts 2 homers with the first two pitches! Yet, Luis Robert Jr. would come along and easily beat Adley WITHOUT even needing the earned additional time.
Lastly, we have to give it up to the performance of Julio Rodriguez. WHAT A BEAST! Rodriguez hits over 40 bombs!
First round went down as follows (W= Winner; E= Eliminated):
Matchup One
Randy Arozerena: 24 (W)
Adolis Garcia: 17 (E)
Matchup Two
Adley Rutschman: 27 (E)
Luis Robert Jr.: 28 (W)
Matchup Three
Vladimir Guerrero: 26 (W)
Mookie Betts: 11 (L)
Matchup Four
Julio Rodriguez: 41
Pete Alonso:
2023 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby- Going Yard and Taking Names!
FUN FACT: Did you know? Baseball icon Ken Griffey Jr is the only player to win three Major League Baseball Home Derbys. WOW.
As one can see, that is the gold standard that all guys competing in the derby hope to attain one day. However, if that is what they wish, they will still need to follow the rules.
Therefore, what are the rules for this year’s MLB Home Run Derby? Just three to really keep in mind.
- Head to Head Elimination– 3 minute timed at bats in first 2 rounds (2 minutes in final round); One 45- second timeout per round
- Bonus Time– All batters receive 30 seconds at end of the round; 30 additional seconds if they hit at least 2 home runs of 440+ feet
- Tiebreakers– 1 minute at bats (no clock stoppage); if still tied, a “Swing Off” (3 swings per batter
2023 MLB Home Run Derby
Now that you understand the rules, let’s get to all the Semi-Final action! At this point, you could see a little more fatigue playing a part. However, the guys still put on quite the show, perfectly executing home run, after home run.
Matchup One
Randy Arozarena: 35 (W)
Luis Robert Jr: 22 (E)
Matchup Two
Julio Rodriguez: 20 (E)
Vladimir Guerrero: 21 (W)
Alright now it’s FINAL TIME!!! Both finalists were impressive, but there could only be one winner. It all came down to Randy needing to hit 5 homers in 30 seconds. Here are the results:
Final Showdown
Randy Arozarena: 23 (E)
Vladimir Guerrero: 25 (W)
Congratulations to Vladimir Guerrero!! Now him and Vlad senior (who won 16 years ago); are both derby champs. Nice to see the Guerreros keep championing in the family.
What a derby! Can’t wait to do it all next year. However, who was your favorite derby athlete of the night?
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