The MLB All-Star Derby is one of the main exhibition events in all sports. While the guys beat the dingers, they were brought together to see who could hit the hardest. While MLB continues to fuss to find the most effective and exciting way to prove it, the home runs and the guys who beat them remain awesome. Here are the best modern derby performances in the Major League Baseball.
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The modern home run derby began in 1985, when each batter received two innings to make as many home runs as possible. The format added a third inning in 1991, and Baltimore Orioles star Cal Ripken Jr. took full advantage by scoring a record 12 dingers on the Toronto Blue Jays SkyDome. It was the first time anyone had done a double-digit home run in a derby.
It was Ripken at the absolute peak of his powers, right in the middle of his career in the midst of his second MVP campaign. Ripken, who is about to win his seventh Silver Slugger award, made 34 home runs in his 91st career, which was good for fourth place in the league.
Albert Bell of the Cleveland Indians lost in 1995 in the Homeran Derby to Frank Thomas of the Chicago White Sox, despite making another home run (Thomas beat him 3-2 in the final round). Making more home runs than Thomas, who broke away from the MVP seasons after leading the league in Homers before, was a great achievement.
Watching Ken Griffi Jr. play baseball in the 1990s meant being the coolest man who ever looked like beating baseball in the history of the sport. This perfectly matched left swing helped the Seattle Mariners legend win three Homeran derbies. He also led baseball to Homers in three of those four seasons.
In 1998, he committed 19 home runs, which was at least in the same derby with Larry Walker. To this day, Griffi still ranks ninth in the number of home runs in the history of the MLB All Star Home Run Derby with a total of 70.
Josh Hamilton has only appeared in one Homeran derby. In 2008, his second year in major competitions and his first year in Texas Rangers, Hamilton burst onto the scene, received an invitation to the Derby and awarded MLB an amazing record in a single round with 28 home runs.
Hamilton eventually lost to Justin Marno of the Minnesota Twins, who made just 22 home runs, but his score was made. Hamilton will become MVP in two seasons and will from baseball to 2016 due to drug problems.
Another second place on the list. Vlado Jr. would have lost just one in the final round to Pete Alonso, but Toronto rookie Blue Jays made a record 91 home runs and a record 40 home runs in one round thanks to a swing with Jock Pederson.
Guerrero Jr. was a star. Two years later, healthy and playing 161 games, he will lead baseball in home runs with a paltry 48 points and finish second in the MVP vote
Fighting Guerrero in the final in 2019, Alonso showed another show in 2021. (The All-Star Game was canceled in 2020.) The New York Mets star made 35 home runs in the first round (second for all time) and a total of 74 (second for all time).
Thanks to these two performances, Alonso has the largest number of homers in the history of the Homeran Derby – 131 dingers.
The best home run derby of all time
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