DENVER — Even if he isn’t lighting the baseball world on fire as he did two years ago, Pete Alonso reminded everyone Monday night that he remains a platinum-level showman.
Two years in the big leagues, two Home Run Derby champions. Pretty, pretty, pretty good.
Alternately egging on the Coors Field crowd and bobbing along to the music, displaying a colorful array of at-bats and wearing cleats that showcased his Homers for Heroes Foundation, Alonso outlasted the Orioles’ Trey Mancini, 23-22. Alonso did his part to liven up a crowd of 49,098 that clearly entered the ballpark hoping to see great things from Angels two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani — who lost to the Nationals’ Juan Soto, 31-28 — in double overtime. By doing so, the 26-year-old successfully defended the crown he captured as a rookie in 2019 (the pandemic canceled the 2020 event) and winning himself another $1 million in prize money.
Alonso totaled 54 dingers for the night, the most of any hitter. When he prevailed two years ago over Blue Jays rookie Vladimir Guerrero, he actually was outhomered overall by the prodigy. The Mets’ first baseman, hitting off Luis Rojas’ bench coach Dave Jauss, found his sweet spot to the left of centerfield, slamming all but two of his round-trippers to his pull side.
Alonso’s role of defending champ gained him no edge in the competition; as the player with the fifth-most homers among the group at the time of the placement, he drew the fifth seed. However, Alonso’s experience in this contest sure appeared to ease his comfort level, as he blew away the other sluggers by crushing a record 35 homers in the first round. His longest shot (of the evening as well as the round) traveled 514 feet, the third-longest after Soto (520) and hometown favorite Trevor Story (518) of the Rockies.
The second round proved even easier for Alonso, who faced off against his National League East rival Soto. Soto’s first-round total of 31, four fewer than Alonso, forced him to perform first in the second round, and he managed a modest total of 15. Alonso barely required a timeout, knocking out 14 before giving himself a break with 1:03 to go in his opening round and then cranking the winning two in his next two swings.
Mancini advanced by edging the A’s Matt Olson, 24-23, and then Story, 13-12. Story reached the semifinals by defeating the Rangers’ Joey Gallo, 20-19.
Baltimore’s Mancini carried his own story of inspiration, as he competed after missing all of last year to undergo treatment for colon cancer. Up against Alonso, though, he couldn’t complete his mission.