This year, Major League Baseball’s home run contest took us to everyone’s favorite big-league backyard: Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. The contest brought together veterans like two-time champion Pete Alonso and five newcomers: classic derby stars (a horde of kids running around the outfield) and newcomers (a horde of happy Phillies). The derby produced one winner, Dodgers center fielder Teoscar Hernández, and seven losers. But that’s not all. Let’s take a look at the winners and losers of this year’s home run derby.
Winner: Teoscar Hernandez (Duh)
It’s quite surprising, especially considering the team’s last decade, that no Dodgers player has won the Home Run Derby so far. Hernández managed to end that sad record, beating first Alec Bohm and then Bobby Witt Jr., the Royals shortstop many expected to win the competition.
In fact, it was Hernández who won baseball’s second-highest prize (plus a cool $1 million). This year’s Derby had several nail-biting moments (more on that later), and Hernández was at the center of both: At one point, near the end of the final, the camera panned to his wife, Jennifer, who appeared to say, “Oh my God,” and cover her face in anxiety.
Loser: Americana
I’ve thought long and hard about country singer Ingrid Andress’s rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” and my conclusion is that the only possible explanation is that she was working out. How else to explain a performance that made the word “horrible” trend on X? On the field, it was enough to make Bohm laugh; in living rooms across America… well, Andress Mentions are not GOOD right now, per se. I don’t envy anyone in the position of putting their own spin on the national anthem, but I’m not sure I’ve ever heard a rendition as completely bizarre as this one. It was a little weird, wasn’t it? Was there some horrible problem with the audio equipment in Arlington? Help.
Winner: New Bonus Round Rules
This year, the Derby changed the rules governing the bonus round. Instead of an extra period of time added to the end of the rounds, batters had three outs at the end of their allotted time, where each ball that was not Hernández and José Ramírez both made the most of their early opportunities, adding six crucial home runs for Hernández and six for Ramírez to their totals, which was enough to propel Hernández into the second round.
The rules also set the stage for the thrilling end to the second round. Bohm tied Hernández at the end of his regular period, no thanks to a final shot that went over just Bohm hit a foul that the Phillies seemed certain would be fair and rose to their feet to celebrate. Instead, Bohm entered the bonus round with only one more home run to win—which he nearly hit on his final swing, only for the ball to land just wide and bounce over the outfield wall. (There are no doubles in the Derby.) That in turn forced Bohm into a swing-off round with Hernández, in which each player had three swings—not outs—to record as many home runs as possible. The drama continued when Hernández hit two of three out of the park, meaning Bohm had to do the same to tie or be perfect to win. Bohm missed his first attempt but then hammered home his second, creating the most tense moment of the entire Derby as he lined up for his final, game-clinching opportunity. The Phillies third baseman eventually emerged, sending Hernandez to the final out against Witt.
The final also came down to the bonus round. Witt, batting second, needed 14 home runs to tie with Hernández. He finished regulation with 11 home runs. In the bonus round, Witt quickly racked up two outs, then hit two tiebreaking home runs (the first earned him an extra out) to pull within one with two outs left. But he made the next throwing error, and almost The final shot went over the center-field fence. But it wasn’t a horseshoe or a hand grenade, and Hernandez won it all. The Home Run Derby is sometimes criticized for its lack of spectacular fireworks. Thanks to the bonus round setup, we got plenty of those.
Loser: Pete Alonso
Alonso was widely considered the favorite to enter this year’s Derby, and for good reason: He’s won the contest twice and this year marked his fifth straight appearance. Instead, Alonso, who has 19 home runs so far this year, has managed just 12. He doesn’t even have the inexperienced pitching excuse that’s been a factor in so many losses in previous years: He had Dave Jauss on the mound, the former Mets bench coach (and current Nationals senior adviser) who also pitched to Alonso in the 2021 Derby, which Alonso won.
Winner: Phillies Vibes
Bohm’s presence on the Derby team was more than a little surprising: He has hit just 11 home runs this season, the fewest of any player this year, and he is far more known for his propensity for hitting doubles than for sending smoke balls into the stands. While his opponents, particularly Alonso, who was filmed taking a deep breath with his eyes closed before his turn, sometimes appeared tense, Bohm was generally radiant on camera, seemingly simply delighted to be there.As everyone thought,” he said dryly about his semi-finalist status.)
He didn’t seem to mind having so many teammates on his side. You’ve probably heard that the 2024 Phillies are a dynamic team. The best team in baseball is also a ragtag bunch of weird-haired himbo kings, the kind of weird organization that’s sending eight players to this year’s All-Star Game. And who recently celebrated the clubhouse’s smoke machine upgrade. Many Philadelphia stars, including Bryce Harper and Trea Turner, spent the derby slumped together on a couch in the on-field player viewing areas.
In the second inning, Bohm got off to a slow start and hit only three home runs before calling a timeout. He appeared to look at his teammates and joke, “That’s not much.” Five Phillies then rushed over to chat; afterward, Bohm nearly won the round. His bat was itself a tribute to the team, covered in his teammates’ jersey numbers, plus a sandwich for good measure. Harper, never one to pass up an opportunity to flatter Philadelphians, amused himself by offering Bohm a pitcher of water labeled “WOODER,” which the third baseman drank throughout the game.
Loser: Adolis Garcia
Last year, García’s derby was notable for one unfortunate reason: His pitcher, Rangers third-base coach Tony Beasley, simply couldn’t get anything going, leading to García’s first-round elimination. (A typical comment on the Rangers subreddit after it was announced that García would also be part of this year’s event: “BANN TONY BEASLEY FROM THE PARK NOW.”) This year, García brought in Franmy Peña, a coach and scout who pitched to Julio Rodríguez in last year’s derby, an outing that saw Rodríguez break the record for most home runs in a single inning (41). But García couldn’t recapture the magic that Rodríguez and Peña managed last year. El Bombi hit 18 home runs in the first round, one more than in last year’s debacle.
Winner: Scooby-Doo (and Eduardo Pérez)
There was a horrible moment early in the Derby broadcast when it looked like we wouldn’t get to hear Gunnar Henderson’s Scooby-Doo impersonation. The Orioles shortstop arrived at the contest with a personalized Scooby-Doo batwhat Ken Rosenthal asked him just before the Derby started. “I could always do a pretty good Scooby-Doo impression,” he told Rosenthal, before walking away without demonstrating. Luckily, Eduardo Pérez saved the day, grabbing Henderson moments later and asking him to show America what he’s got. We’re all better for it.
The loser: the pink carpet
Overall, the lounge areas set up for players and their families in front of both dugouts were a great addition to the broadcast, with big, muscular ballplayers alternating between goofing off with their kids and teammates and staring at their phones. (Pro athletes: they’re just like us!) Since it’s 2024, the areas were laid out on a hot pink carpet in honor of a certain mobile phone sponsor. Unfortunately for the poor, innocent brand activation, ballplayers love nothing more than to perpetually chew on stuff and puke up leftovers on the floor at will. The carpet never stood a chance.