Toronto Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (24) won the Home Run Derby after finishing runner-up four years ago. As an added bonus, Guerrero Jr. followed his father, Vladimir Guerrero Sr. (48), as the “father of the home run”.
Guerrero Jr. lifted the trophy after defeating Randy Arozarenas (28-Tampa Bay Rays) 25-23 in the final of the Major League Baseball (MLB) All-Star Game 2023 Home Run Derby at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, Washington, U.S., on Nov. 11 (ET). The 8-year-old, who watched his father, Guerrero Senior, stand atop the Home Run Derby in 2007 with the Los Angeles Angels, grew up to become Major League Baseball’s first father-daughter Home Run Derby champion.
“I honestly don’t remember much about 2007,” Guerrero Jr. said in a postgame interview, “but I’m really proud and happy to have won the Derby with my dad.” When asked by a reporter if his father gave him any advice before the race, he replied, “Not really, he just said, ‘You just have to hit a home run.'” “Our champion! Indescribable moment of emotion,” Guerrero Senior wrote on Twitter after watching his son’s victory live.먹튀검증
Vladimir Guerrero Sr. celebrates winning the Home Run Derby at the Major League Baseball All-Star Game on July 9, 2007. AP Photo/Associated Press
The road to home run king was long and winding. Guerrero Jr. competed in the 2019 Home Run Derby and won 40-39 after three “swing-offs” (a time-limited home run tiebreaker in which players get three swings each) against Jacob Pederson (now of the San Francisco Giants) in the semifinals, but lost to Pete Alonso (New York Mets) by one run in the finals. Despite setting records for most home runs in a single round (40) and most home runs in a tournament (91), he had to settle for second place.
In his second challenge, Guerrero Jr. easily defeated Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Mookie Betts in the first round, 26-11. His semifinal opponent was Julio Rodriguez of the Seattle Mariners, who had the home crowd behind him. The young blood had broken Guerrero Jr.’s single-round record for most home runs (41) in the first round, upsetting the favorite Alonso, but fell just one point short (20-21) in front of Guerrero.
Arozarena, who had knocked off Adolis Garcia (Texas Rangers) and Luis Robert Jr. (Chicago White Sox) in the opposite block, used his signature drive in the final against Guerrero Jr. to take the fight to the final 30 seconds of the extra innings, but lost by two home runs. As he did four years ago, Guerrero Jr. combined with Toronto manager John Schneider for a two-hit total, and his consistent and powerful swing earned him the $1 million first-place prize.
The Major League Baseball Home Run Derby is a timed event, with a three-minute time limit for rounds one and two and a two-minute time limit for the final. Players get an extra minute if they hit two or more home runs over 440 feet (134 meters).