New York Mets Pete Alonso wins 2021 Home Run Derby. Back-to-back wins for Mets man.
The T-Mobile Home Run Derby returned with a hard-hitting, high-flying, mile-high event.
The full field of eight competitors for baseball’s big fly bonanza was a powerhouse group, but only one man could come out on top — Pete Alonso, for his second straight win.
Finals
Pete Alonso: 23 (finals), 74 total
A favorite coming into the night and a heavy favorite after his seemingly effortless 51 homers across the first two rounds, Alonso remained serene on the staging couch as he watched Mancini put up 22 dingers. That was a daunting target (just one shy of Alonso’s final round record of 23 back in 2019), but the Polar Bear’s first swing — a 111 mph, 509-foot shot toward the left-field concourse — erased any sign of nerves.
Alonso continued to make it look as if he could do the Derby in his sleep, reaching 12 taters and repeatedly drawing ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ from the Coors Field crowd before he took his timeout with 36 seconds left in regulation. An extended timeout and a hilarious hit-by-pitch from Alonso’s BP pitcher, Mets bench coach Dave Jauss, hardly broke Alonso’s concentration.
He finished regulation with 17 homers and easily earned a minute of bonus time with four 475-plus foot clouts. Alonso took care of the remaining dingers in short order, homering on all six of his bonus-time swings to put his second straight Home Run Derby title on ice. A stunning and dominant display by Polar Bear Pete.
LONGEST HR (EXIT VELO): 509 feet (111 mph)
HARDEST HR (DISTANCE): 117 mph (495 feet)
AVG. HR DISTANCE: 464 feet
AVG. HR EXIT VELO: 109 mph
Trey Mancini: 22 (finals), 59 total
Many didn’t expect Mancini to make the final round, but then again, he already beat the odds by returning to baseball this year after missing 2020 due to colon cancer. Could the Baltimore slugger write a storybook Derby ending? Going first in his matchup with Alonso, Mancini surely knew he needed a big number in the two-minute round to stand a chance.
Once again, Mancini looked comfortable, drilling eight homers in the first minute, including a 490-foot drive that secured one minute of bonus time. He would go on to add shots of 485, 488, 481 and 475 while reaching 16 in regulation. Mancini started hot in bonus time and while he hit a rut in the final 40 seconds or so, one final blast at the buzzer got him to 22.
LONGEST HR (EXIT VELO): 490 feet (110 mph)
HARDEST HR (DISTANCE): 114 mph (470 feet)
AVG. HR DISTANCE: 451 feet
AVG. HR EXIT VELO: 107 mph
more to follow…
[…] The winner of 2021 Home Run derby, Pete Alonso of the New York Mets took the $1 million prize. While Baltimore’s Trey Mancini was second and took home $500,000. […]