This year’s Home Run Derby was not only star-studded, but also featured an intriguing mix of young superstars and veteran sluggers playing by new rules. After a night full of home runs in the Texas sky, it was an unlikely champion, Dodgers slugger Teoscar Hernández, who took home the Derby crown by defeating Royals young star Bobby Witt Jr. in a thrilling final round. He became the first Dodger to win the title, and it was his first time competing in the Derby.
See below for a round-by-round breakdown of the entire competition.
(4) Teoscar Hernandez beats (3) Bobby Witt Jr.
Witt HR Total: 13
After hitting a total of 37 home runs between the first round and the semifinals, Witt finished his night hitting 13 home runs in the finals, but finishing just one behind Hernández. On his final swing in bonus time, Witt hit a ball 406 feet into one of the deepest parts of the stadium, in center field, that hit the middle of the wall. Had the ball gone over, Witt and Hernández would have had a swing-off to determine the Derby champion.
LONGEST FC: 457 feet
STRONGEST FC: 110 mph
AVERAGE HR DISTANCE: 409 feet
Average heart rate output speed: 102.7 mph
Hernandez Total HR: 14
Hernández’s timeout and conversation with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. proved crucial to his performance in the finals, with the slugger hitting five homers in six swings at one point shortly after the break. Hernández averaged 430 feet on his 14 homers, including two 449-footers in extra time. His longest homer, near the end of regulation, traveled 454 feet.
LONGEST FC: 454 feet
MOST DIFFICULT FC: 111 mph
AVERAGE HR DISTANCE: 430 feet
Average heart rate output speed: 106.5 mph
(4) Teoscar Hernandez eliminates (1) Alec Bohm by swing-off
Lift-off: Hernandez (2 HR), Bohm (1 HR)
Hernández got the better of Bohm in the first leg of the 2024 Derby, with both competitors hitting 14 home runs in their semifinals. Hernández homered on the last two of his three swings, finishing the game with his longest home run of the round (456 feet). Bohm homered on his second swing but couldn’t clear the fence on his final attempt, eliminating him and sending Hernández to the finals.
Bohm HR total: 14
Bohm hit 21 home runs in the first round and 14 more in the semifinals, tying him with Hernández and leading to a swing-off. Coming into the derby with the fewest home runs (11) of any competitor, Bohm’s performance was one of the more surprising developments.
LONGEST FC: 431 feet
STRONGEST FC: 103.0 mph
AVERAGE HR DISTANCE: 402 feet
Average heart rate output speed: 98.0 mph
Hernandez Total HR: 14
After hitting 19 home runs in the first round, Hernández hit 14 home runs in the semifinals. Ten of those homers came in the second half of regulation, with Hernández on fire after his midway timeout, hitting seven homers on nine pitches. The Dodgers slugger had the most success in left-center field, though several of his homers were hit directly to left. Hernández added a homer in bonus time.
LONGEST FC: 454 feet
MOST DIFFICULT FC: 109 mph
AVERAGE HR DISTANCE: 423 feet
Average heart rate output speed: 105.5 mph
(3) Bobby Witt Jr. eliminates (2) José Ramírez
Witt HR Total: 17
Witt finished regulation on a roll, hitting seven home runs on the last 10 pitches he saw. The third seed in the semifinals took his timeout with 1:40 left, hitting 11 home runs after that point before regulation ended. Witt couldn’t add to that in the bonus period, however, striking out all three of his swings to finish his semifinal with 17 home runs.
LONGEST FC: 454 feet
MOST DIFFICULT FC: 108 mph
AVERAGE HR DISTANCE: 407 feet
Average heart rate output speed: 102.6 mph
Ramirez HR total: 12
Ramirez struggled to keep his momentum going after his stellar first round, which saw him hit 21 home runs. He hit just 11 in regulation in the semifinals (compared to 15 in the first round) and one in bonus time after crushing six bonus home runs in the previous round. After going on just one four-game home run streak in the first round, Ramirez went on a seven-game home run streak and another six-game home run drought in the semifinals.
LONGEST FC: 407 feet
STRONGEST FC: 103.0 mph
AVERAGE HR DISTANCE: 385 feet
Average heart rate output speed: 97.6 mph
Alec Bohm (qualified for the semi-finals)
Total HR: 21
Bohm found his groove after a slow start, consistently finding the bleachers in left field and left-center field late in his inning. The Phillies third baseman hit 10 home runs on the final 12 pitches before the bonus period, including a five-pitch streak. Bohm picked things up significantly after the first minute — he hit just one home run on his first seven pitches before he began to find his powerful swing. Bohm finished regulation with 20 home runs and added another home run in the bonus period to finish with 21.
LONGEST FC: 445 feet
MOST DIFFICULT FC: 105 mph
AVERAGE HR DISTANCE: 407 feet
Average heart rate output speed: 100.7 mph
Bobby Witt Jr. (qualified for the semi-finals)
Total HR: 20
Selected to his first All-Star Game and first time in the Derby, Witt struggled to get going but put together a nice run to finish the game. After hitting just five home runs before his first timeout, the Texas native hit 11 home runs in the rest of regulation, including on six of his last nine swings to finish with 16 home runs in regulation. Witt added four more in bonus time to finish with 20.
LONGEST FC: 442 feet
MOST DIFFICULT FC: 111 mph
AVERAGE HR DISTANCE: 409 feet
Average heart rate output speed: 105.0 mph
Adolis Garcia (eliminated)
Total HR: 18
Just like in the 2023 playoffs, García got into shape instantly. A few swings after his mid-round timeout, “El Bombi” hit nine home runs on 11 pitches. That stretch gave García 18 home runs in regulation, but he didn’t hit a home run on any of his three bonus-time swings.
LONGEST FC: 435 feet
MOST DIFFICULT FC: 106 mph
AVERAGE HR DISTANCE: 403 feet
Average heart rate output speed: 100.7 mph
Teoscar Hernández (advanced to semi-final)
Total HR: 19
Hernández, playing in his second All-Star Game and first derby, started strong, hitting four of his first five homers in the first 30 seconds. After slowing down the rest of regulation, he followed that up with six homers in the bonus round to finish with 19 overall. Hernández hit six homers that traveled more than 135 yards, including a 142-yard home run.
LONGEST FC: 466 feet
MOST DIFFICULT FC: 111 mph
AVERAGE HR DISTANCE: 430 feet
Average heart rate output speed: 105.1 mph
Pete Alonso (eliminated)
Total HR: 12
Alonso, the 2019 and 2021 Derby champion competing for his third title, failed to hit enough home runs to finish in the top four and advance to the next round. The Polar Bear struggled throughout his round — he hit five home runs before taking his timeout with 1:37 remaining and hit just four more in the remainder of regulation. Alonso added three home runs during the bonus period, but it wasn’t enough to advance to the next round.
LONGEST FC: 446 feet
MOST DIFFICULT FC: 109 mph
AVERAGE HR DISTANCE: 417 feet
Average heart rate output speed: 105.5 mph
José Ramírez (advanced to semi-final)
Total HR: 21
After hitting 17 home runs in the first round as a right-hander in the 2022 Derby at Dodger Stadium, Ramirez’s decision to hit left-handed this year paid off with 21 home runs in the first round. Ramirez has remained remarkably consistent, with few extended streaks without a home run while hitting home runs between 380 and 420 feet. Ramirez hit 10 home runs before his timeout and hit six home runs in the bonus round.
LONGEST FC: 419 feet
STRONGEST FC: 107.0 mph
AVERAGE HR DISTANCE: 398 feet
Average heart rate output speed: 101.2 mph
Marcell Ozuna (eliminated)
Total HR: 16
Ozuna came back after taking a timeout with just four home runs under his belt and 1:40 remaining, hitting six home runs on eight pitches at one point to dramatically accelerate his pace. He outscored all previous first-round hitters in distance, topping out with a 473-foot home run and averaging 426 feet on his home runs. Ozuna hit 14 home runs in regulation and added two more in bonus time, but it wasn’t enough to advance to the semifinals.
LONGEST FC: 473 feet
STRONGEST FC: 110 mph
AVERAGE HR DISTANCE: 426 feet
Average heart rate output speed: 105.1 mph
Gunnar Henderson (eliminated)
Total HR: 11
Entering the All-Star break with the third-most home runs (28) in the major leagues and the most among Derby participants, Henderson has struggled outside of a stretch in which he hit four straight home runs in regulation. While the 23-year-old Orioles superstar hasn’t shown the raw power we’re so accustomed to, Henderson has plenty of chances to redeem himself in a future game.
LONGEST FC: 438 feet
STRONGEST FC: 106.0 mph
AVERAGE HR DISTANCE: 414 feet
Average heart rate output speed: 103.5 mph