Let’s be honest here for a second. No one really cares about All-Star Games, especially when it comes to Major League Baseball. Nonetheless, events like the Slam Dunk competition or the Home Run Derby are what fans truly want to see during the breaks.
That’s why we were all so excited to witness some of the best sluggers in the game go toe-to-toe at Coors Field to determine who’d win this year’s Home Run Derby, especially considering we didn’t get to watch this even last year due to the pandemic.
With prominent names such as Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto, Salvador Pérez, and the reigning champion Pete Alonso, everybody expected this to be one of the best Home Run Derbys of all time, and it was.
Home Run Derby: Ohtani Knocked Out Early, Pete Alonso’s Epic Performance, And The Funniest Memes And Reactions
Joey Gallo was one of the biggest favorites after hitting 11 homers in 13 games, yet he couldn’t get past the first round. Pete Alonso crushed 35 homers in his first try and even though Salvador Pérez did a great job with 27 dingers, it wasn’t enough.
But perhaps the biggest surprise and most entertaining matchup came between Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto. The Japanese superstar was heavily favored by most sportsbooks to both hit the longest home run and win the competition, but he couldn’t get past Soto after two tie-breaking rounds.
Eventually, Trey Mancini and Pete Alonso would make it to the final round, with the New York Mets star taking home the award for the second straight time and vowing to come back next year to tie Ken Griffey Jr’s record. Obviously, the internet had a lot to say about it.
The first half of the MLB season is already on the books but it’s clear that the best is yet to come. And there wasn’t a better way to get ready for the most crucial stage of the campaign than watching this epic derby.