Hate on the Home Run Derby all you want, but the 2019 Derby in Cleveland was one for the ages that saw records shattered – fittingly in the Rock ‘n Roll capitol of the world – during a slugfest of epic proportions.
A record 312 baseballs were blasted deep into the Cleveland night.
Pete Alonso, who totaled 57 homers on the night – third-most in Derby history, took down the star of the night, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., by besting him in the finals 23-22 to become just the second rookie to win the Home Run Derby joining Aaron Judge in 2017.
Sure, Carlos Santana bowing out in the first round to Alonso 14-13 was a little disappointing, but hearing the park roar for every ball that landed short and then boo every Alonso blast, including his final one that cleared the wall in right center as his time expired, was priceless.
The young slugger from the New York Mets made the walk-off blast a habit Monday night as he advanced each round by a single deep drive – and ultimately winning himself a cool $1 million bucks.
Guerrero Jr. hit 91 baseballs out of the ballpark, destroying the record for the most homers in a single derby by 30. Giancarlo Stanton hit 61 in 2016.
Guerrero Jr’s 40 bombs in the second round set a new single round record, breaking the one he had just set in the opening round by hitting 29. That semifinal included three tiebreakers with Joc Pederson and by the time those two duked it out and were done with each other, the entire ballpark needed oxygen and a nap.
Pederson matched Guerrero Jr. homer for homer in a semifinal that required a 60-second tie breaker and then not one, but two swing-offs before he succumbed by missing on his final swing.
It was the most entertaining, captivating, drama-filled, fulfilling hour of swings the game has seen in years.
They could’ve called the derby then and no one would’ve complained.
By the time Ronald Acuna Jr. got back up for his semifinals swings the crowd was spent. Alonso smashed one deep to center as his time expired to best Acuna Jr. 20-19 and move on to face Guerrero Jr.
The architects of Progressive Field were the real MVPs for putting 23 rows of bleachers and the largest free-standing scoreboard in baseball atop the mini monster in left, perhaps saving multiple windshields parked in the garage on the other side of Larry Doby Way because Guerrero Jr. used them for target practice all night.
The Blue Jays slugger averaged 421 feet per homer in round one, 423 feet in the second round and 432 feet in the finals with his deepest drives going 450, 488 and 463 in each round. 47 baseballs off his bat traveled 425 feet or more.
Pederson, who hit 60 homers combined in two rounds, upped his career Derby total to 99, a new record surpassing Todd Frazier’s previous mark of 92. With his inaugural appearance, Guerrero Jr. is third on the career derby homer list.
Alonso triumphantly raised his arms in the air after lifting a ball to right center and watching it sail over the wall with :18 remaining in the finals as fireworks shot into the air and the crowd roared one final time in delight.
What a night.
For baseball, the Derby and for Cleveland.