The Windup: A surprise Home Run Derby champion

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Like no one expected, Teoscar Hernández is your new Home Run Derby champion. Ahead of tonight’s All-Star Game (8 p.m. ET, Fox), we’ve got all the details, plus plenty more from the derby/All-Star media day in Arlington, Texas. Levi Weaverattached Ken Rosenthal — welcome to The Windup!

Home Run Derby: Favorites crash early

They came, we saw it, they shot dingers, taters, longballs, round-trippers and moon shots.

By the time it was all said and done, 31-year-old Teoscar Hernandez emerged victorious in the Home Run Derby, hitting 14 home runs in the final round to surpass 24-year-old Bobby Witt Jr. The stadium was loud and echoing (maybe we can blame this anthem on acoustics?)and the atmosphere was… well, it wasn’t playoff baseball (until the very end), but it was still a good time for the 38,578 people who showed up.

Observations!

Two-time champion and presumptive favorite Pete Alonso finished with just 12 home runs in the first round, the second-lowest total of the eight first-round contenders, trailing only Gunnar Henderson (11). They are joined by Marcell Ozuna (16) and local favorite Adolis García (18).
In the second round, Witt (17) eliminated José Ramírez (12), while Alec Bohm and Hernández (14) tied and found themselves in the finals, with Hernández advancing 2-1. He managed just 13 points in the final round, leaving Witt — who was drafted out of Colleyville Heritage High School, just 10.9 miles north of Globe Life Field — to take the final shots of the night. As he closed to within one point, the crowd did He made his voice heard in the playoffs, but his final ball bounced off the left-center field wall. Hernández was the winner by the narrowest of margins.
The new format: I rely on those who watched on television, but in person, I think it was still dragging on a bit, and I think it was the “bonus rounds” that gave that impression, at least in the stadium. The guys got applauded after they finished… only to come back and take more shots. I think if I could make one final edit, I would say: no bonus shots in the first or second round.

Overall, it was a good thing – if very chaotic — day. Chad Jennings wrote a detailed account of Hernandez’s big night with quotes from attendees, and Jayson Stark explains how Hernandez won.

Ken’s Notebook: Notes on four of tonight’s All-Stars

Paul Skenes. Typically, All-Star starters are announced the day before the event, as Corbin Burnes did for the American League on Monday. MLB, however, made an exception for Skenes.

National League manager Torey Lovullo informed Skenes of the honor Friday on the Dan Patrick Show. That way, the league was able to build excitement for the game and eliminate the possibility of a leak. The Pirates preferred to have Skenes start so he could go through his normal pregame routine rather than come in as a reliever.

Reynaldo Lopez. The 30-year-old thought he would spend the rest of his career as a reliever, but his wife, Jhilaris, believed he could start playing again. When López sat down with his agent, Gio Rodriguez, last September, Jhilaris sat in on the meeting and said, “Let’s find a team that will give him an opportunity to start.”

The Braves were the only team to make such an offer. After Lopez’s teammates voted him an All-Star, Jhilaris told him, “See? As a reliever, you weren’t going to play in the All-Star Game.”

Luis Arraez. The Padres infielder told reporters Sunday he would not play in the game because of a jammed left thumb, but MLB has not replaced him on the National League roster. Although Arráez is not hitting, he is available to play in the field.

This is Arráez’s third straight All-Star Game, with a third different team, and he said it will be by far the most meaningful. His father, Ernesto, mother Maria and older sister Normelis, all of whom live in Venezuela, will see him play as an All-Star for the first time.

Ernesto and Maria had never seen Luis play professionally before their visit to Miami last September. It was their first visit to the United States. Previously, they had struggled to obtain visas.

Jurickson Profar. Coming back to Texas for his first All-Star Game makes this moment even more special. Profar considers Texas his second home, and his 6-year-old son and 4-month-old daughter were born there. Why Texas for his daughter, considering he now plays for the Padres? Profar and his wife, Ravoika, loved the hospital where their first child was born so much that they wanted to receive the same care for their second.

Considering the Padres signed Profar to a one-year, $1 million contract as a free agent after the start of spring training, he could be considered one of the most surprising All-Stars. He was Baseball America’s top prospect in 2013, but injuries slowed his development. Eleven years later, he would play in his first All-Star Game.

“I always thought I was that player,” Profar said. “In my mind, I’m an All-Star. And ultimately, it shows.”

Windup in the Wild: Media Day Notes

It was a frantic day yesterday at Globe Life Field, as local and national media — as well as local media from every MLB market — descended on the park in Arlington, Texas.

The day began with a press conference attended by the two managers and the two A starting pitcher (Corbin Burnes’ wife just had twins, so congratulations to the Burnes family!). The lineups have been revealed, with only two notable things to note:

Each manager was allowed to put his own second baseman on the roster. Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo put Ketel Marte in the leadoff spot, while Rangers’ Bruce Bochy put Marcus Semien in the ninth spot. Bochy laughed and said he talked to Semien about it and the second baseman said, “Well, if you look at the numbers, that’s where I’m at.”
I’ll leave it to Jayson Stark and the Weird & Wild department to tell you whether this is all that strange, but Both teams have teammates hitting third and fourth: Juan Soto and Aaron Judge for the Yankees on the American League side; Trea Turner and Bryce Harper of the Phillies for the National League.

The league held media meetings on the outfield, setting up miniature booths for each player. Here are some interesting quotes:

Jurickson Profar Ken is one of 37 new All-Stars. Of his first All-Star game — and his time in Arlington, where he was supposed to be a franchise player — he said, laughing, “I’m not that kind of person emotionally. I only get emotional when I’m playing baseball. So I’m very happy … it’s rewarding.”
Elly Dela Cruzon American League hitters facing Paul Skenes: “It’s not going to be easy for them… the splitter looks like a sinker. He’s got some good stuff. There’s not much you have to do, just react – be in time for the fastball.” Tyler Kepner spoke to others who felt the same way.
I also asked De La Cruz what he was most looking forward to in his first All-Star Game. “I’d like to speak Japanese to Shohei Ohtani… but I don’t speak Japanese.” I don’t know why, but that was the funniest thing I heard yesterday.
Bryce Harperon his hopes for MLB players to play baseball in the 2028 Olympics: “I hope so. You want to grow the game, right? Why not grow it at the highest level (of the sport)? Growing up, playing in the Junior Olympics, wearing your national colors on your chest. There’s nothing like it, there’s no greater feeling than seeing your country win and hearing your national anthem play last. I hope we can do something. It’s tough, logistically, but it would be a lot of fun to bring baseball there and have the best players there, representing their country.”