Los Angeles Dodgers All-Star Teoscar Hernández won the 2024 Home Run Derby at Globe Life Field by defeating Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. in the championship round. Hernández put together an improbable run to win the event for the first time in his career and become the first ever Dodgers Home Run Derby champion.
This year’s event featured new rules that among other changes included eliminating a bracket format for the opening round. Instead, all eight hitters took their swings for up to three minutes or maximum of 40 pitches.
The top-four highest scores advanced to the semifinals and at that point the Home Run Derby bracket format returned with seeding.
The first round and semifinals both were only three minutes long or 40 pitches. The final round was two minutes or 27 pitches.
Hernández represented the 14th time the Dodgers had a participant. Overall, a total of 12 Dodgers have been in the Home Run Derby since the event began in 1985.
Pete Alonso, Alec Bohm, Adolis García, Gunnar Henderson, Marcell Ozuna and Jose Ramírez were part of the 2024 Home Run Derby field as well.
Home Run Derby results 2024
First round
Alec Bohm was first to hit, and not being a prototypical home run hitter was evident early but he managed to finish with 21 home runs.
Bobby Witt Jr. hit 16 homers before his additional three outs and finished with 20 total in the first round.
Hometown representative Adolis García mustered just 18 homers and was hurt by not hitting any during bonus outs.
Teoscar Hernández hit 13 and gained some steam with bonus outs but still only finished with 19. On the surface that added to a long list of underwhelming Dodgers results in the Home Run Derby.
But Pete Alonso had an uncharacteristic beginning to his night, hitting only nine before the bonus round. Alonso only increased his total to 12 and failed to advance to the second round.
That ended Alonso’s bid to tie Ken Griffey Jr.’s MLB record as a three-time Home Run Derby champion.
Jose Ramírez put together a steady march toward 21 home runs that tied with Bohm for most in the first round and put a further squeeze on Hernández.
Marcell Ozuna appeared primed to officially eliminate Hernández but he managed just 16 homers to become the second hitter eliminated. Gunnar Henderson’s slow start ultimately cost him and put Hernández into the second round.
Semifinals
Alec Bohm, Jose Ramírez, Bobby Witt Jr. and Teoscar Hernández reached the semifinals and were pitted in matchups based on the traditional Home Run Derby bracket format. Bohm earned the top seed and went head-to-head with Hernández, and Ramírez and Witt competed.
Witt was first to swing in the semifinals round advanced past Ramírez with 17 home runs compared to 12.
Any good fortune Hernández had on his side in the first round looked to have washed away as he again produced just 13 home runs in three minutes. The Dodgers All-Star had a respectable total heading into the bonus round but appeared to succumb to fatigue.
Bohm also struggled in his second round and only managed to tie Hernández’s 14 home runs.
The night’s first swing off went in favor of Hernández as he advanced with two additional homers.
Championship round
Hernández was first to hit in the 2024 Derby finals and put pressure on Witt with 14 home runs.
The All-Star shortstop, a high school Home Run Derby champion, hit 11 in the allotted two minutes but fell one short in the bonus outs.
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