Every mid-July, Major League Baseball sets aside a few days for two of the summer’s biggest events: the Home Run Derby and the All-Star Game. These two competitions celebrate the end of the grueling 162-game season’s first half, allow many players a chance to rest up for the coming months, and showcase the talent of baseball’s brightest stars.
The Home Run Derby, which occurs first, took place on Monday night at Petco Park in San Diego, California. Eight of baseball’s biggest sluggers, bracketed according to the total number of home runs this season, battled off for the Derby trophy. Giancarlo Stanton of the Miami Marlins had a phenomenal first round, hitting 24 home runs with only 30 swings, and easily surpassed his opponent Robinson Cano’s 7 homers.
In the semifinals, Stanton outslugged Mark Trumbo, who was the top seed and a favorite to win. Meanwhile, 2015 Home Run Derby winner Todd Frazier beat first-timer Adam Duvall to shoot for the chance to defend his title.
It was Giancarlo “The Miami Pound Machine” Stanton against Todd “The Toddfather” Frazier, each with something special to prove. Stanton, a SoCal native, was out to win on home ground and become the first Marlins player to win the Derby, while Frazier had the potential to become the first player to win with 2 different teams (in 2015 he was with the Cincinnati Reds; this year he’s on the Chicago White Sox). Both were the only players in the Home Run Derby who are not on the roster for the All-Star Game.
Stanton hit whopper after whopper, totaling 20 homers in the final round. Although Frazier put in a good effort himself, his 13 long balls couldn’t meet the mark.
Stanton totaled 61 home runs, setting a Home Run Derby record. He hit the 10 longest shots of the night, with the 2 longest each at 497 feet. Just look at those distances and try to keep your jaw from dropping open:
Is that good? pic.twitter.com/Qxyj7SU5yh
— ESPN (@espn) July 12, 2016
And check out his Instagram victory post:
Congratulations to Giancarlo Stanton, the winner of the 2016 MLB Home Run Derby! Share your excitement with us on Twitter @CelebMix, and don’t forget to tune in tomorrow at 8pm ET for the MLB All-Star Game.