MLB Home Run Derby: Most memorable moments in event history

FOX is the exclusive home of the 2024 MLB All-Star Game on July 16 (8 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports App) from Arlington, Texas, home of the Rangers. 

Of course, before the Midsummer Classic goes down, we first have one of the most anticipated events on the baseball calendar: the Home Run Derby. So far Pete Alonso, Alec Bohm, Gunnar Henderson, Marcell Ozuna, Jose Ramirez and Bobby Witt Jr. have committed to participate in this year’s derby. 

Here’s a look at some of the more memorable moments from the Home Run Derby — in chronological order.

Ken Griffey Jr., 1993

Oriole Park at Camden Yards is distinct for Eutaw Street located behind right field, but more specifically, the mammoth warehouse that sits just beyond, too. Well, Griffey, who was having his best statistical MLB season to date, went toe-to-toe in a tiebreaker with Juan Gonzalez — who actually won the event — and hit the famed warehouse with one of his long balls.

Griffey went on to win three derbies later in the decade, making him the all-time leader.

Bobby Abreu, 2005

Abreu blew away the competition in Round 1 with 24 home runs, seven more than David Ortiz. He then escaped the second round to ultimately hit 11 more long balls in the final round to win the event. 

Abreu totaled a combined 41 home runs, with one of them going 517 feet, and beat Ivan Rodriguez in the final round.

Josh Hamilton, 2008

In what might be the most famous derby runner-up bid in MLB history, Hamilton put on a show in the Bronx in what was the final season of the old Yankee Stadium. 

Hamilton hit 28 home runs in the first round — with one of his homers going 518 feet — and reached the championship round before Justin Morneau snuck out the win.

Stanton raked from start to finish. He followed up blasting 17 long balls in Round 1 by demolishing 24 more in the ensuing round and capping it off with 20 homers in the final round.

Heck, one of Stanton’s home runs went off the Petco Park scoreboard.

Judge sends baseballs to places they’ve never been, but that was taken to a new level in the 2017 Home Run Derby. Not only did Judge win the event: he hit four home runs that went in excess of 500 feet. Judge beat out his future teammate, Stanton, in the championship round.

Judge, in what was his first full season at the MLB level, finished the night with a combined 47 home runs.

The entire 2019 field

The 2019 edition of the event was a thrilling night in Cleveland. Rookie Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Joc Pederson put on a thrilling display of power in the second round, as Guerrero hit 40 home runs, compared to Pederson’s 39. 

That said, it was Mets slugger Pete Alonso who came out on top in the event, edging out Guerrero in the final round by one homer.

Pete Alonso, 2021

MLB put the 2021 All-Star Game a mile above sea level at Coors Field, and it went as everybody expected, that being with home runs soaring out of the park in a blink of an eye. 

Alonso hit 35 home runs in the first round, mashed all night and went on to total a whopping 74 homers en route to winning the event to become the back-to-back derby champion (there was no 2020 All-Star week due to the COVID-19 pandemic).

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