Major League Baseball’s top eight best and strongest hitters came together to mash baseballs for some big time fun with the ultimate winner getting to gloat in his newfound glory as well as lift the trophy at the end of the night. Well, in a night that would be one for the ages, Yankees rookie right fielder upstaged everyone and took the crown on Monday night in Miami.
Charlie Blackmon (Rockies), Cody Bellinger (Dodgers), Miguel Sano (Twins), Mike Moustakas (Royals), Gary Sanchez (Yankees), Giancarlo Stanton (Marlins; defending champion), Justin Bour (Marlins), and Aaron Judge (Yankees) were the eight participants for this year’s event at Marlins Park.
In the quarterfinals round, Miguel Sano defeated Mike Moustakas and in an upset, Gary Sanchez bested the defending champion Giancarlo Stanton by just one home run. Cody Bellinger later defeated Charlie Blackmon and in another upset, Aaron Judge defeated Justin Bour. Bour hit twenty-one home runs in the first round, but Judge showed off his power and took the round by one.
In the semifinals, Miguel Sano bested Gary Sanchez to move on to the finals and Aaron Judge destroyed, and I mean, destroyed Bellinger. Aaron Judge hit FOUR home runs that traveled over five hundred feet, with his longest home run measuring in at an incredible 513 feet! In the final round, it would be Aaron Judge that would come out victorious, beating Miguel Sano with eleven home runs to Sano’s ten.
Judge is the fourth New York Yankee to win the home run derby, joining Tino Martinez (1997), Jason Giambi (2002) and Robinson Cano (2011). The rookie said it was a humbling experience and that the fans in Miami were so wonderful. Congratulations Aaron, you most certainly deserved it!
