Teoscar Hernández is the new MLB Home Run Derby champion.
Hernández beat Kansas City Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. in the final round of the Home Run Derby on Monday at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas after a very interesting rendition of the national anthem. Hernández just barely beat Witt in the final round as Witt's last attempt, which could've tied Hernández, came up painfully short.
Hernández is the first Los Angeles Dodgers player to win the Home Run Derby and the seventh Dominican-born player to win the event. His victory earned him a $1 million bonus, too.
The Derby had a few notable changes this year, which sped the event up just a bit. All eight players hit in the first round, and then the top four performers Hernández, Witt, Alec Bohm and José Ramírez advanced to a bracket-style final four. Pete Alonso, who was looking for his third Derby win, Adolis Garcia, Gunnar Henderson and Marcell Ozuna were eliminated in the opening round.
Witt beat Ramírez in his semifinal battle by putting up 17 home runs in the round. Ramírez hit just four home runs in his first 25 pitches in that round.
But Witt missed his first two shots in the bonus round, which put him behind immediately. Although he hit two home runs to give himself a chance, his last attempt stopped just shy of the center-field wall.
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