Once again, the world was just shown why the Derby is the greatest All-Star Break event in the four major sports. The 2019 Home Run Derby showcased some of the best young talent in the sport today. With Vlad Jr, Joc Pederson, and Pete Alonso leading the charge, fans were sure to be amazed.
Opening Round
Openers could make or break an event. Luckily for the MLB, the Opening Round didn’t disappoint.
To start, the round Joc Pederson set the narrative for the rest of the night. From the start, he was dropping bombs towards Cleveland’s RF porch. He ended with a total that, at the time, seemed untouchable with 21, easily ousting Bregman who could only muster 16. As we’d soon see, however, 21 was for chumps.
As soon as Vladimir Guerrero Jr. stepped into the box you could feel the eagerness in the air. It felt fresh and new, as we’ve only seen a small sample of what Vlad Jr. could do. However, even with the eagerness and excitement, many didn’t believe that the 20-year-old should be in the Derby.
With only eight HRs and two months of service time in the Show, people felt he was only put there because of his father. Those thoughts would soon be put out to pasture, as we were introduced to the “Vlad Barrage”. With ease, Vlad Jr. dropped a derby record 29 HRs (previously held by Josh Hamilton with 28) knocking the challenger, Chapman (13), out before he had a chance.
The round only got more impressive, as Ronald Acuna Jr., the young Braves stud, displayed power all over the field. To top off his clinic, he showed how easy it was by blowing a bubble and dropping a missile to right-center.
Finishing the round, Pete Alonso set off his soon to be victory tour with a bang, beating hometown hero Carlos Santana 14-13.
Second Round
The Second Round of the 2019 Home Run Derby was the best round of Derby baseball that we’ve ever seen. To start, we had an absolute war between Vlad Jr. and Joc Pederson. They went the full eight minutes along with one-minute rounds each in extras and finished off with a three-pitch swing off for the ages. Not to be out-shined, however, was the hitting clinic displayed by Acuna Jr. and Pete Alonso that ended in dramatic fashion.
As Vlad Jr. stepped to the plate you could feel the anticipation to see if he’d top his first round with an even greater second round. Just like his father years ago, he didn’t disappoint with the bat. Hitting 29 home runs to start off the round, it looked like it was a finals trip for Vlad. Then Joc came to play.
Following the firework show that was Joc vs Vlad Jr., Pete Alonso and Ronald Acuna Jr. had, in my opinion, the best round of Derby Baseball.
Acuna, once again, displayed power to all fields with some moonshots to the scoreboard in LF finishing with a total of 19. Then, Pete Alonso came to the plate. Displaying raw, unmatched power and composure to oust the Braves’ stud, Pete Alonso walked-off in the final seconds. This finally gave the chance for Mets fans to brag about something this season to Braves fans.
Championship Round
The sad fact about the Championship Round is that it’ll be the least-talked about round in this Derby. With two rookies competing for the grand prize of $1 million dollars (which is more than their making now), the outcome was quite the shocker.
Jr. was clearly out of gas to start the round. He was seemingly way out in front and pulling pitches not meant to be pulled. However, that didn’t stop him from hitting 22, going out in a respectful manner. This gave Pete the opening he needed, and like a shark that smelled blood in the water, he attacked.
Once “the Polar Bear” stepped into the box, it was over. The kid was automatic. Unlike Jr.’s round, Pete was nowhere near gassed. He was going RF, CF, and LF on his way to beating Vlad with 30 seconds to spare.
Final Thoughts
The 2019 Home Run Derby, along with the All-Star Game, was exactly what the MLB needed. It was fun, laid back, and their young stars were displayed front and center for the world to see.
If it weren’t for the show that Vlad put on in the first two rounds, Pete Alonso would be the man of the hour. He showed that, even with a horrendous event from his pitcher, he’s a pure hitter and a player to keep an eye on for the second half of season. He also broke Vlad’s record (set that night with 22) for most HRs hit in a Final Round with 23.
This isn’t meant to be taking anything away from Vlad and his historic performance. He just couldn’t pull it out in the end. Breaking three derby records (29 in the first, 29 in the second, and 91 total) is no small feat. This herculean act should be talked about for years to come.