Los Angeles Dodgers rookie Cody Bellinger slugged 12 home runs but was eliminated in the semifinals of the 2017 Home Run Derby by New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge, who advanced to the finals with 57 seconds to spare.
Judge went on to defeat Minnesota Twins third baseman Miguel Sano in the championship round to win the 2017 Home Run Derby.
Bellinger was noticeably fatigued by the end of his second-round swings. That he advanced to face Judge came on the back of 15 home runs and a big stroke of luck.
The Dodgers’ 21-year-old rookie finished with 13 home runs during the four-minute period, and only earned 30 seconds of bonus time with his last home run traveling 440 feet at the buzzer.
Bellinger became the fourth Dodgers rookie in as many years to participate, but the organization doesn’t have what would be described as a rich history in the Home Run Derby.
Mike Piazza failed to hit a homer in either of his trips to the Derby (1993 and 1994), Raul Mondesi hit two home runs in 1995, Hee-Seop Choi hit five home runs in 2005, and Matt Kemp hit two home runs in 2011 and just one the following year.
Yasiel Puig represented renewed hope but he failed to hit a home run at Target Field in 2014. Joc Pederson changed the Dodgers’ fortunes in the Home Run Derby as he advanced to the final round under the-then new format. Pederson ultimately fell to Todd Frazier in the championship round.
Corey Seager slugged 15 home runs when he participated in the annual tournament, but was eliminated in the first round by Mark Trumbo, who led the Majors in home runs at the All-Star break last year.
The Bellinger-Judge matchup was arguably one of the more hoped-for possibilities. The two have taken the Majors by storm this season, with the Yankees’ right fielder benefitting from a three-week jump start.
Judge leads the Majors with 30 home runs, while Bellinger is tied for fifth with 25.
