We’ve never seen a performance at the Home Run Derby quite like what we saw from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on Monday night. Guerrero blew away everyone’s expectations with a record-setting first round, and the 20-year-old wasn’t content to stop there.
Through the opening round of the Home Run Derby tonight, we have seen record breaking 149 1st-Round HR (previous record 128 in 2017) and 2 of the 3 highest single-round HR totals in derby history: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (29) and Ronald Acuña Jr. (25) pic.twitter.com/Bg5m7mPYZn
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) July 9, 2019
Guerrero had quite the reputation to live up to. His dad was seen as one of the best power hitters of the 1990s and 2000s, but he showed that his pops was no match for his power by blowing his Home Run Derby numbers away.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s first round of the Home Run Derby was flat out incredible. pic.twitter.com/m9YYr6GcQG
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) July 9, 2019
The performance was made even more impressive due to the high fence in left field at Progressive Field. That fence is dubbed the ‘Little Green Monster’, but Guerrero showed that its height was no match for his power by continually pulling balls over the wall.
My goodness… Vladimir Guerrero Jr. with 29 home runs for >>2.3<< miles in home runs. WOW! pic.twitter.com/IHVOmAhQbx
— Daren Willman (@darenw) July 9, 2019
Of course, Vlad Jr. wasn’t content to stop there. What can you do for an encore after hitting a record number of home runs in one round? Smash the record you just set.
In the semifinals of the Home Run Derby, Guerrero Jr. and Joc Pederson gave us the best display we’ve ever seen at this event. The two young sluggers were tied at 29 home runs after their initial round, and then we saw three rounds of overtime before Guerrero Jr. topped Pederson by the absurd margin of 40-39.
It took 4 1/2 minutes, then 60 seconds, then a pair of three-swing bonus rounds, but Vladimir Guerrero Jr. prevails over Joc Pederson in the Home Run Derby seminfinals, 40-39.
That was awesome.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 9, 2019
Everyone was awestruck by what they were seeing. The MLB account wore the role of hype man well.
IS THIS REAL!? #HRDerby
— MLB (@MLB) July 9, 2019
And Vladimir Guerrero Sr. was floored by what he was witnessing too.
OMG ❗️❗️❗️
— Vladimir Guerrero (@VladGuerrero27) July 9, 2019
Unfortunately, for Guerrero, he ran out of gas in the finals. He lost to New York Mets 1B Pete Alonso, and the Mets were quick to celebrate their young star’s achievement.
❄️🐻 POWER!@Pete_Alonso20 is the 2019 #HomeRunDerby champion! pic.twitter.com/BXimsxYybg
— New York Mets (@Mets) July 9, 2019
Alonso effectively doubled his salary this year with the victory, and he has already earmarked some of the winnings as proceeds to charity.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Pete Alonso each will make $555,000 this year.
One of them will get $1 million tonight for winning the Home Run Derby.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 9, 2019
Of course, not everyone is going to be a fan of the Home Run Derby, but I’d bet even Mr. Nightengale was cheering after tonight’s spectacle.
How about instead of a home run contest at the All Star Game,doing something that fans rarely see these days, you know, like a Beat the Shift/bunting derby?
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) July 9, 2019
