Like father, like son.
Just as his dad did in 2007, Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. powered his way through T-Mobile Park to win the 2023 Home Run Derby.
The runner-up in 2019, Guerrero Jr. knocked 25 home runs in the final round against Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Randy Arozarena’s 23 to win the event. It also marked a first in derby history, as Guerrero Sr. and Guerrero Jr. became the first father-son duo to have a Home Run Derby title.
Besides Arozarena/Guerrero Jr., the biggest highlight of the night was the hometown kid Julio Rodríguez, who in front of a raucous home crowd, hit 41 dingers in the first round, making history with the most home runs in one round in derby history.
Here’s a recap of the action from T-Mobile Park.
Follow the money: MLB player salaries and payrolls for every major league team
Finals: No. 6 Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Blue Jays) defeats No. 5 Randy Arozarena (Rays)
Guerrero Jr. – 25 HR – longest 445 feet: It was another solid round for Guerrero Jr., who was able to consistently get the ball over the outfield wall to get to 20 home runs at the end of his regular time. He once again secured the extra minute of time, but he failed to capitalize on it by starting the period slow with only five extra homers.
Arozarena – 23 HR – longest 438 feet: It looked like Arozarena was going to fall short after a slow beginning to the round, but he turned it up once again to finish the regular time strong with 21 bombs. Needing at least five more dingers in the extra 30 seconds since he didn’t hit a 440-foot homer, he got only two, falling short and making Guerrero Jr. the winner.
Semifinals: No. 6 Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Blue Jays) defeats No. 7 Julio Rodríguez (Mariners)
Rodríguez – 20 HR – longest 426 feet: Rodríguez follow up his historic first round with a much more quiet semifinal, falling just short of the wall on a number of balls with 18 home runs at the end of regular time and no 440-foot bombs. In his extra 30 seconds, he added two home runs.
Guerrero Jr. – 21 HR – longest 453 feet: The whole crowd was hoping Guerrero Jr. would fall short, but the 2019 runner-up was able to secure the crucial extra minute of time early. He wasn’t on a great pace, but was ahead of Rodríguez and tied his 20 home runs at the end of regular time. In the extra minute, it took just three swings to win and advance to the final round for the second time
Semifinals: No. 5 Randy Arozarena (Rays) defeats No. 1 Luis Robert Jr. (White Sox)
Arozarena – 35 HR – longest 447 feet: It was a slow start but once Arozarena picked it up, he stayed on fire through the rest of his regular time to beat his first round score while he ensured he got the extra minute of time, something he didn’t get in the first round. It was another solid round for the person that believes he will win the derby.
Robert. Jr – 22 HR – longest 484 feet: Robert Jr. kept the power he had from the first round for another time of epic moonshots, but he couldn’t get hot like Arozarena did in the latter half of his regular time. He needed 14 home runs in his extra minute of time, but struggled to get anything out with only one homer in extra time. However, Robert Jr. did hit the longest ball of the night at 484 feet.
First round: No. 7 Julio Rodríguez (Mariners) defeats No. 2 Pete Alonso (Mets)
Rodríguez – 41 HR – longest 452 feet: The hometown slugger got the crowd erupting early, starting on fire and continuing to get T-Mobile Park buzzing the entire time. It felt like every homer was reaching the second deck of the left field seats, ending regular time with a whopping 32 dingers. He continued to pop off in extra time, ending with the most home runs in one round in Home Run Derby history.
Alonso – 21 HR – longest 457 feet: Playing against the pro-Rodríguez crowd was going to make it tough for the two-time champion, and he couldn’t get on the hot pace set by the Mariners star despite some impressive distance. It was the second straight year Alonso was eliminated by Rodríguez, and ensured Ken Griffey Jr. will remain the only three-time champ.
First round: No. 6 Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Blue Jays) defeats No. 3 Mookie Betts (Dodgers)
Guerrero Jr. – 26 HR – longest 456 feet: Guerrero put on one heck of a show in 2019, and he brought the power back this time around by quickly reaching the bonus minute. He struggled toward the end of his regular time, but the minute bonus time proved to be a major benefit in him getting to 26.
Betts – 11 HR – longest 427 feet: He let it be known he had no chance of winning this event, and he was right. He didn’t generate enough power to consistently hit homers or reach the 440-feet mark, finishing with 11 homers. It was the least amount of home runs hit in a round since 2017.
First round: No. 1 Luis Robert Jr. (White Sox) defeats No. 8 Adley Rutschman (Orioles)
Rutschman – 27 HR – longest 445 feet: The Orioles catcher was launching bombs off the left side of the plate, with several homers coming with a launch angle over 40 degrees. He finished the regular time with 21 home runs, and just to be more impressive, switch to the right side in bonus time to add a whopping seven homers in 30 seconds, dazzling the crowd.
Robert Jr. – 28 HR – longest 470 feet: The White Sox slugger made it look effortless while launching some of the longest home runs of the first round. All but two of his homers went over 400 feet, including a mammoth 470 foot bomb to center field. He tied Rutschman in his three minutes, and took him four swings in the extra time to advance.
First round: No. 5 Randy Arozarena (Rays) defeats No. 4. Adolis Garcia (Rangers)
Arozarena – 24 HR – longest 442 feet: Arozarena got a good streak of homers after taking a timeout, but appeared to get fatigued quickly, struggling to keep home runs fair and only had one home run go over 440 feet. However he made the most of the extra 30 seconds, adding five more to his total in the bonus time.
Garcia – 17 HR – longest 438 feet: It looked like Garcia was poised to have a big round just a few swings in, but that would be it for him as he couldn’t really find a rhythm to catch up to Arozarena. He also failed to register a home run of at least 438 feet.
Iam Tongi sings national anthem
The “American Idol” winner that stole everyone’s hearts was on hand to sing the national anthem, as Iam Tongi sang a beautiful rendition to kick off the event.
Randy Arozarena shows up in cowboy boots
It wouldn’t be a Randy Arozarena appearance without the cowboys boots.
As each participant was announced prior to the beginning of the event, Arozarena walked on the stage donning his iconic cowboy boots. He will face off Adolis Garcia in the first round.
What time does the Home Run Derby start?
The 2023 Home Run Derby is on Monday, July 10 at 8 p.m. ET. It will be held at T-Mobile Park in Seattle.
How can I watch?
Fans can watch the 2023 Home Run Derby on ESPN with a StatCast edition on ESPN2. It will also air on ESPN.com, MLB.com and MLB.TV.
Who is in the 2023 Home Run Derby?
- Luis Robert Jr. (Chicago White Sox)
- Pete Alonso (New York Mets)
- Mookie Betts (Los Angeles Dodgers)
- Adolis Garcia (Texas Rangers)
- Randy Arozarena (Tampa Bay Rays)
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Toronto Blue Jays)
- Julio Rodríguez (Seattle Mariners)
- Adley Rutschman (Baltimore Orioles)
Home Run Derby bracket matchups
The Home Run Derby contestants are given a seed for tournament, which determines matchups. Here is the bracket for this year’s Home Run Derby:
First round
- No. 1 Luis Robert Jr. vs. No. 8 Adley Rutschman
- No. 2 Pete Alonso vs. No. 7 Julio Rodríguez
- No. 3 Mookie Betts vs. No. 6 Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
- No. 4. Adolis Garcia vs. No. 5 Randy Arozarena
Second round
- Semifinal 1: Robert Jr. vs. Arozarena
- Semifinal 2: Rodríguez vs. Guerrero Jr.
Finals
- Arozarena vs. Guerrero Jr. (winner)
2023 Home Run Derby contestants’ stats
Four of the eight participants this year rank in the top 10 in home runs this season: Alonso, Betts, Roberts Jr. and Garcia.
Here are how many home runs each player has at the All-Star break and where they rank:
- Pete Alonso: 26 (T-3rd)
- Mookie Betts: 26 (T-3rd)
- Luis Roberts Jr.: 26 (T-3rd)
- Adolis Garcia: 23 (T-6th)
- Randy Arozarena: 16 (T-29th)
- Julio Rodriguez: 13 (T-57th)
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr.: 13 (T-57th)
- Adley Rutschman: 11 (T-88th)
PAST WINNERS:Home Run Derby through the years
What are the Home Run Derby rules?
The competition is a bracket, single elimination style. In the first two rounds, each contestant has three minutes with a 45 second timeout. In the finals, it’s two minutes with a 45 second timeout.
Batters can earn more time, as they are rewarded a 30 second bonus time at the end of each round, and can earn an additional 30 seconds with two home runs of 440 feet. The batter with the most home runs in the matchup moves on. If a tiebreaker is needed, there will be a 60-second swing off with no stoppage.
How long does the Home Run Derby last?
The Home Run Derby consists of three rounds. Four matchups are in the first round and two matchups are in the second found before two final contenders square off in the finals.
T-Mobile Park dimensions
The Mariners will be hosting All-Star week at T-Mobile Park for the second time in the stadium’s history, hosting it in 2001. However, it’ll be a slightly different field of play than the 2001 Home Run Derby had. Before 2013, the stadium underwent renovations that changed the distance and size of the outfield walls, making it shorter and technically easier to hit a home run for this year’s contest. Here are the dimensions for the ballpark:
- Left field line: 331 feet
- Left center: 378 feet
- Center: 401 feet
- Right center: 381 feet
- Right field line: 326 feet
Pete Alonso goes to the bullpen for new Derby pitcher
Two-time Home Run Derby champion Pete Alonso said his former Tampa travel ball childhood coach, Mike Friedlein, developed a forearm issue and won’t be his Derby pitcher tonight. Someone else will fill in. Alonso has been deliberate in choosing his Derby pitchers in the past. His cousin and college baseball player Derek Morgan, threw the pitches for his first Derby win, while Mets coach Dave Jauss threw for his second. — Scott Boeck
Home Run Derby betting odds
There is plenty of betting action around the world’s premier annual slugging showcase, and USA TODAY readers can claim unique promo codes and bonuses from various online sportsbooks. The favorite to win the 2023 Home Run Derby is New York Mets slugger Pete Alonso, who is listed at +300 odds to win by BetMGM. If you like Alonso’s chances to become just the second player to win three derby titles, FanDuel is offering slightly longer odds at +330 for the Polar Bear to win the event. Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman, a former No. 1 overall pick, has the biggest longshot odds at +2000 to win, per BetMGM.
Bettors can also wager on other outcomes during the event through apps like DraftKings, which offers odds on round-by-round matchups as well as home run totals and distances. For example, Toronto Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is favored to hit the most home runs in the contest at +275, followed by Alonso (+350) and defending runner-up Julio Rodriguez (+370). You can also predict whether the derby record for home-run distance (521 feet) will be eclipsed, with DraftKings putting +800 odds on the chance of a record-breaking dinger to occur. — Richard Morin
Luis Robert Jr. shows off incredible bat with panther for derby
The No. 1 seed is going in style.
Robert Jr. showed off the custom bat he will use for Monday night, a black bat with a panther wearing a chain, and his No. 88 jersey number on the other side with the flag of his home country Cuba inside.
The panther on the bat is a reference to his nickname within the White Sox organization: “La Pantera.”
Longest Home Run Derby homers
It’ll be hard to beat the record for longest Home Run Derby dingers, as the top four longest homers came in the high elevation in Denver for the 2021 edition. Here are the longest home runs ever in the competition in the statcast era:
- Juan Soto: 520 feet, 2021 (Colorado)
- Trevor Story: 518 feet, 2021 (Colorado)
- Pete Alonso: 514 feet, 2021 (Colorado)
- Shohei Ohtani: 513 feet, 2021 (Colorado)
- Aaron Judge: 513 feet, 2017 (Miami)
- Aaron Judge: 513 feet, 2017 (Miami)
Home Run Derby winners list by year
Here are the winners of the Home Run Derby since 2000:
- 2000: Sammy Sosa
- 2001: Luis Gonzalez
- 2002: Jason Giambi
- 2003: Garret Anderson
- 2004: Miguel Tejada
- 2005: Bobby Abreu
- 2006: Ryan Howard
- 2007: Vladimir Guerrero
- 2008: Justin Morneau
- 2009: Prince Fielder
- 2010: David Ortiz
- 2011: Robinson Canó
- 2012: Prince Fielder
- 2013: Yoenis Céspedes
- 2014: Yoenis Céspedes
- 2015: Todd Frazier
- 2016: Giancarlo Stanton
- 2017: Aaron Judge
- 2018: Bryce Harper
- 2019: Pete Alonso
- 2020: Canceled
- 2021: Pete Alonso
- 2022: Juan Soto
- 2023 Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
