Giancarlo Stanton is the new Home Run Derby champion in Major League Baseball.
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He bettered defending champ and two-time finalist Todd Frazier, now of the White Sox, in the final on Monday night by a score of 20 homers to 13 at Petco Park in San Diego.
Chicago White Sox slugger Todd Frazier came up just short in his bid to defend his Home Run Derby title. His longest launch of the night was 497 feet in the first round, which is 39 feet longer than the longest homer hit during the first 12 1/2 seasons of baseball at the downtown home of the San Diego Padres.
Tuesday’s Say Hey Baseball is focused on the All-Star Game festivities and the fact that Giancarlo Stanton is the master of hitting baseballs really hard. He had even less of a chance once Stanton bombed 20 homers in the final round, leaving a tired Frazier, who’d been playing catch-up the entire derby, a mere four minutes to hit 21 homers.
His opening round left 2011 Derby champion Robinson Cano in the distance after he only hit seven home runs. He sent more than a few balls just under the huge scoreboard high above the left field stand and some above the bull-pens in left center.
Stanton dominated in the first two rounds, defeating both Robinson Cano and Mark Trumbo easily to advance to the finals. But American League home run leader and No. 1 seed Mark Trumbo (28) smashed his way to 16 – without even needing his 30 second bonus. Stanton reminded everyone last night why fans live to watch the Home Run Derby every year.
“Next year it’s at home”, Stanton said, referring to Marlins Park in Miami.
Stanton set all these records in a format in which all his rounds were on a timer.
“I was amped up, I was ready to go”.
Shine returned the favor in complimenting Stanton. A year after blasting 70 home runs, he – along with Sammy Sosa and Griffey – lit up the Boston skies in 1999.
It was Frazier’s third consecutive appearance in the championship round, winning it last season in Cincinnati and finishing second the year before in Minneapolis.
The semifinals pitted Stanton against Trumbo, which was a good enough clash that it could’ve closed out the Derby, and nobody would’ve complained.
He hit the eight longest homers of the competition and 20 of the 21 deepest drives.
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“He was struggling a little and then they invited him to the Home Run Derby”, Ozuna said. His average home run Monday traveled 446 feet. Frazier edged Duval 16-15. As he proved, Giancarlo Stanton in the Home Run Derby is a show you don’t want to miss.
