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Stadium Rant
An In-Depth Recap Of The 2024 Home Run Derby
By Annalise Mason,
2024-07-21
This year's Home Run Derby lineup included a unique combination of up-and-coming talents and seasoned sluggers competing under new regulations.
Following a night of home runs soaring through the Texas sky, Teoscar Hernandez emerged victorious in the Derby. Not only was it Hernandez's first Derby, he became the first Dodger to win the title.
Let's take a closer look at each round.
Round One
Alec Bohm (Home Run Total: 21)
After a sluggish start, Bohm settled into a groove. His homers often landed in left and left-center field as his round finished. Bohm struck out ten times in the last 12 pitches before bonus time, including five in a row.
After the first minute, Bohm improved dramatically; he only homered once in his first seven pitches before he began to develop a power swing. Bohm scored 20 home runs in regulation and added another in extra time to total 21.
Bohm's hardest-hit home run was at 105 miles per hour, but his average exit velocity was 100.7 mph. Alec's furthest home run was 445 feet, while his average distance was 407 feet.
Bobby Witt Jr. (Home Run Total: 20)
Witt, who was chosen for his first All-Star Game and made his Derby debut, had a slow start before finishing with a strong run.
The Texas native finished with 16 regular home runs, including six of his final nine swings, after having only homered five times before his first timeout. During his bonus round, Witt scored four more to bring his total to 20 homers.
Witt's hardest-hit home run was 111 miles per hour, but his average exit velocity was 105 mph. Bobby's furthest home run was 442 feet, while his average distance was 409 feet.
Adolis Garcia (Home Run Total: 18)
Similar to his performance in the 2023 postseason, Garcia appeared to gain heat quickly. Midway through his round, Adolis took a few swings and hammered nine home runs in an 11-pitch stretch. Garcia blasted eighteen home runs in regulation thanks to the hot stretch, but he failed to hit a home run in his bonus round.
Garcia's hardest-hit homer was 106 miles per hour, but his average exit velocity was 100.7 mph. Adolis's furthest home run was 435 feet, while his average distance was 403 feet.
Teoscar Hernandez (Home Run Total: 19)
Hernandez, making his debut in the Derby and his second career All-Star Game, got off to a scorching start, homering on four of his first five swings in the opening thirty seconds. He slowed down for the remainder of regulation before going on a significant tear in the bonus round, finishing with six home runs to tie the record.
Six of Hernandez's home runs, including a 466-foot wallop, soared over 440 feet.
Hernandez's hardest-hit home run was 111 miles per hour, but his average exit velocity was 105.1 mph.
Pete Alonso (Home Run Total: 12)
Alonso, competing for his third Derby championship after winning in 2019 and 2021, did not finish in the top four and move on to the next round. The Polar Bear had difficulty hitting during his whole round; after calling a timeout with 1:37 left, he hit just four more home runs in the remaining regulation innings. Alonso added three home runs during the bonus round, but it was insufficient to advance.
Alonso's hardest-hit homer was 109 miles per hour, but his average exit velocity was 105.5 mph. Pete's furthest home run was 446 feet, while his average distance was 417 feet.
Jose Ramirez (Home Run Total: 21)
Ramirez decided to hit left-handed this year, and it paid off as he smashed 21 first-round home runs. His hardest-hit home run was 107 miles per hour, but his average exit velocity was 101.2 mph.
Ramirez remained highly consistent, hitting home runs between 380 and 420 feet while going without a hit for brief periods. Before his timeout, Ramirez hit ten home runs, and in the bonus round, he hit six more times.
Marcell Ozuna (Home Run Total: 16)
Ozuna timed out with just four home runs and 1:40 left on the clock. He quickly ramped up his pace, homering on six of eight pitches at one point. His home runs averaged 426 feet, and he topped out at 473 feet, outhitting every prior first-round hitter in terms of distance.
Ozuna's hardest-hit homer was 110 miles per hour, but his average exit velocity was 105.1 mph. Despite hitting 14 home runs in regulation and two more with bonus time, Ozuna was unable to secure a spot in the semifinals.
Gunnar Henderson (Home Run Total: 11)
Except for a period in which Henderson homered on four consecutive swings in regulation, he struggled going into the All-Star break. Henderson has the third-most home runs in the majors and the most among the Derby participants.
He stayed consistent, hitting an average home run of 414 feet, while the furthest homer he hit was 438 feet. Gunnar averaged an exit velocity of 103.5 miles per hour, but his hardest-hit home run was 106 mph.
Although the 23-year-old Oriole standout had more than enough power in his personalized Scooby-Doo bat on Monday, Henderson still has plenty of opportunities to redeem himself.
Semifinals
Teoscar Hernandez (Home Run Total: 14)
Hernandez went deep 14 times in the semifinals after launching 19 home runs in the opening round. After taking a break halfway through the regulated time, Hernandez went hot, hitting seven home runs in a nine-pitch stretch. Ten of those came in the second half of regulation.
The Dodgers' slugger was most successful when hitting home runs to straightaway left, but he was also successful when hitting to left-center field. Hernandez added one home run in bonus time.
Alec Bohm (Home Run Total: 14)
Bohm tied Hernandez with 14 home runs, setting up a swing-off. His performance was one of the more unexpected events. Before entering the Derby, Bohm had the fewest home runs of any competitor.
In the first swing-off of the 2024 Derby, Hernandez defeated Bohm after both players hit 14 home runs in the semifinals. Hernandez ended the game with his longest home run, hitting home runs on the final two of his three swings (456 feet). After Bohm hit a home run on his second swing, he was eliminated, and Hernandez advanced to the finals.
Bobby Witt Jr. (Home Run Total: 17)
Witt went on a tear as regulation ended, hitting seven home runs in the last ten pitches he faced. With 1:40 remaining in regulation, the third seed in the semifinals took a timeout and settled into a groove, blasting 11 home runs before the time ran out. Witt finished his semifinal round with 17 home runs, but he could not score more in bonus time, striking out on each of his three swings.
Jose Ramirez (Home Run Total: 12)
Ramirez found it challenging to build on his fantastic first-round performance. He had just 11 home runs from regulation during the semifinals (compared to 15 in the first round) and one in bonus time.
Ramirez endured a seven-swing stretch without a home run and another six-swing drought in the semis after only having one stretch of four straight homerless swings in the first round.
The Final Round
Bobby Witt Jr. (Home Run Total: 13)
Witt concluded his evening with 13 home runs in the championship round, falling just one short of Hernandez. Witt launched a ball 406 feet to one of the deepest spots in the ballpark in center field on his last swing in bonus time, and it struck the middle of the wall. Witt and Hernandez would have advanced to a swing-off to decide who would have won the Derby.
Winner Of The 2024 Home Run Derby: Teoscar Hernandez (Home Run Total: 14)
Hernandez's timeout and conversation with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. proved to be essential in his game-winning effort. Shortly after the time out, the slugger smashed five home runs in six swings. Throughout his 14 home runs, including two 449-foot hits during bonus time, Hernandez averaged 430 feet. Near the end of regulation, he hit his longest home run, which covered 454 feet.
Read More MLB News From Stadium Rant Here: MLB News
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