The 2024 Major League Baseball All Star Week has come and gone with many memorable moments across The 2024 Home Run Derby and The 2024 All Star Game, from Arlington Texas.
Outfielder Teoscar Hernandez of the Los Angeles Dodgers won the Home Run Derby, and The American League won the MLB All Star Game for the tenth time in eleven seasons, with Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran winng All Star Game MVP.
The 2024 MLB All Star Week Home Run Derby
MLB’s Home Run Derby is one of the premier events people look forward to from the beginning at the start of every MLB season. Some of the best players in the league’s history have competed in the event, players like Ken Griffey Jr, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, Bryce Harper and many more.
This year MLB All Star Home Run Derby represented a changing of the guard, with all but two of the eight participants making their derby debut.
Two time winner first baseman Pete Alonso of The New York Mets was looking to reclaim his crown, after winning back to back tries in 2019 and 2021, had he won he would have been the second three time winner, joining near unanimous hall of famer Ken Griffey Jr.
Jose Ramiriez of The Cleveland Guardians, competed in the derby in 2022 failing to win. Ramiriez was looking to be the first switch hitter to be the undisputed winner of the event, former big league switch hitter Ruben Sierra was a co-winner with Eric Davis in 1989.
The rest had their first derby experience.
Two future superstar shortstops in the league made their first appearance, as 24 year old Bobby Witt Jr of The Kansas City Royals, and 23 year old Baltimore Oriole Gunnar Henderson came into Monday’s event leading participants in regular season home runs this year with 28, third in all of the bigs behind Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani.
Ohtani’s Los Angeles Dodgers teammate, outfielder Teoscar Hernandez made his first appearance winning the derby altogether. Hernandez entered the competition with 19 home runs on the year.
Representing The Atlanta Braves was designated hitter Marcell Ozuna, who has had a late career resurgence over this season and last, now at 33 years old. Ozuna’s 26 home runs rank fourth in the majors.
Alec Bohm is the last of the NL East competitors playing for The Philadelphia Phillies. The 27 year old first time All Star has hit 11 home runs this season, while mostly known as a line drive hitter, his bat control is good enough that the potential is there, and he proved it.
Lastly, from the hosting team, outfielder and 2023 World Series hero Adolis Garcia. Garcia made a name for himself in last year’s postseason as a stellar big game player, and looked to add to his impressive career highlights video. Garcia hit 17 home runs this season.
As mentioned previously Hernandez was the victor, after winning a swing off with Alec Bohm in the previous round, The Dodgers outfielder defeated Witt Jr. in the finals, by a score of 14-13.
I’m not sure if it was the new rules, the stadium, or the lack of MVP caliber star power but it seemed like there were a lot less home runs this year than recent years. The Home Run Derby was on my birthday so me and my friends went to a bar to watch it, other people noticed the lack of fire power.
Alec Bohm the unanimous dark horse candidate on every forum, betting app, talk show, everything had the most homers in a round with 21. That was the first performance of the entire event, the rest of the first round was unexciting.
Pete Alonso and Gunnar Henderson were the most disappointing. Henderson had a pathetic 11 home run total and Alonso, the biggest draw of the event had 12, both were eliminated in the first round.
Hernandez and the hometown Texan, Bobby Witt Jr. stole the show in the final round, when the former won by just one homer. Witt’s final swing sent the ball to the warning track, a solid hit, but too short.
For more on the home run derby check out my colleague Matt Mendives’ article on the event.
The 2024 Major League Baseball All Star Game
The best of The American League and the best of The National League faced off for their 94th All Star Game.
Last year The National League won 3-2, with catcher Elias Diaz of The Colorado Rockies winning All Star Game MVP.
The American League won 10 of the last 11 All Star Games going into Tuesday’s game in Arlington Texas.
The All Star Game began with Pirates rookie and 2023 first overall draft pick, 22 year old Paul Skenes on the mound for The National League, and 29 year old veteran Corbin Burnes of The Baltimore Orioles going for The American League.
Offense was scarce to begin the game with both pitchers allowing no hits, and walks that stranded baserunners.
The National League drew first blood in the top half of the third, when superstar designated hitter Shohei Ohtani of The Dodgers hit a 400 foot three run homer to right center field off Red Sox ace Tanner Houck, scoring himself, left fielder Jurickson Profar of The San Diego Padres, and second baseman Ketel Marte of The Arizona Diamondbacks, giving The National League a 3-0 lead.
The American League wasted no time trying to catch their opponents, as they tied the game at 3 runs apiece later that inning. Yankees outfielder Juan Soto hit a two run double to score Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien, and Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan.
Soto himself came around to score on a pinch hit single by Guardians designated hitter David Fry, all runs scored on Giants ace Logan Webb.
The fifth inning ended the game’s scoring when outfielder Jarren Duran of The Boston Red Sox hit a two run homer to right center field off Reds ace Hunter Greene, which scored Baltimore Orioles outfielder Anthony Santander.
Durran’s preformance awarded him the prestigious Major League Baseball All Star Game Most Valuable Player Award.
The final score of the game was 5-3, with Oakland A’s closer Mason Miller getting the win for The American League, Greene the loss for The National League, and closer Emmanuel Clase of The Cleveland Guardians the save.
Interesting 2024 MLB All Star Game Stats and Facts
American League manager Bruce Bochy became the second manager to win an All Star game in both leagues, after Tony Larussa did it.
Ohanti’s home run marks the first time a Dodgers player hit an All Star game home run since hall of famer Mike Piazza did it in 1996, at Philadelphia.
Paul Skenes became the first player to play in or start in an All Star game the year after being drafted, and is only the fifth rookie to be named starting pitcher.
This was the fastest MLB All Star game ever, at 2 hours and 28 minutes.
The American League leads the all time rivalry 48-44-2.
Regular season MLB action is back, for more on sports and pop culture visit RespectMyRegion.com
