Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. edged Tampa Bay’s Randy Arozarena to win Monday’s Major League Baseball Home Run Derby, blasting a final-round record 25 homers.
The 24-year-old slugger, whose father Vladimir Guerrero Sr. won the 2007 Derby title, captured the $1 million top prize by beating Arozarena 25-23 in the final.
“My family are the ones who pushed me to do this and this is for them,” Guerrero Jr. said. “I’m just very happy to be in this moment right now.”
The $2.5 million sluggers showdown came on the eve of the 93rd MLB All-Star Game in Seattle between elite talent from the American League and National League.
“What a performance! Proud of you son,” Guerrero Sr. tweeted moments after the triumph was secured.
Due to seedings, Guerrero Jr. batted last in the semi-finals and first in the final, giving him only minimal rest to try and smash balls over the outfield wall with the title at stake.
But Guerrero Jr. blasted 25 homers, two more than the old final-round mark set by Pete Alonso in 2019 when he edged Guerrero Jr. 23-22.
Arozarena, who hadn’t swung on the field in 45 minutes, came to the plate and missed on his first six swings but hit nine homers in the first minute and had 21 with 30 seconds remaining.
But the 28-year-old outfielder managed two more to give Guerrero Jr. the trophy.
“I felt good,” Guerrero Jr. said. “I thought the pressure was on him and if he did it, he did it. But I was able to come through.”
Guerrero Jr. beat 22-year-old Seattle outfielder Julio Rodriguez, last year’s runner-up, by 21-20, in an all-Dominican semi-final.
Arozarena defeated top seed Luis Robert Jr. of the Chicago White Sox 35-22 in a semi-final duel of Cuban outfielders.
Rodriguez set the overall one-round record for homers in eliminating two-time champion Pete Alonso of the New York Mets 41-21 in a first-round rematch of last year’s semi-final, where “J-Rod” ousted the two-time defending champion.
Rodriguez smashed the first three pitches he saw for homers, and did the same with 14 of the first 20 on the way to breaking the record of 40 set by Guerrero Jr. in the second round in 2019.
“That’s a nice number,” Rodriguez said of his record total.
Guerrero Jr. awaited him in the semis after defeating third-seeded Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts 26-11.
In the other first-round matchups, Robert eliminated Baltimore catcher Adley Rutschman 28-27 and Arozarena beat Texas outfielder Adolis Garcia 24-17 in a duel of Cuban pals.
Last year’s winner, San Diego’s Juan Soto, did not compete.
