Giancarlo Stanton puts on Derby show, belts 24 homers in one round
Miami Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton’s first round in the 2016 Home Run Derby did not disappoint. After missing the Derby the past few seasons due to injuries, Stanton put on an absolute laser show to kick things off.
.@Giancarlo818 just launched a 497-foot blast – the longest home run EVER tracked by #Statcast!https://t.co/7jlQIpUNCC
— #Statcast (@statcast) July 12, 2016
That was just one example of his dominance. Stanton also came close to hitting the scoreboard out in left field with a number of his bombs. He may have even hit the scoreboard with one of his blasts, though the commentators may have missed it.
Giancarlo Stanton with 24 home runs in the quarterfinals! #HRDerby pic.twitter.com/0KkiXerIjz
— Evan Petzold (@EvanPetzold) July 12, 2016
All told, Stanton hit an incredible 24 home runs on just 30 swings.
Giancarlo Stanton @Marlins 24 HR on 30 swings
Under old rules, only 2 players hit that many in round- Josh Hamilton (28), Bobby Abreu (24)
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) July 12, 2016
That was nearly a record, though consider the format has changed since Josh Hamilton hit 28 in one round back in 2008. Stanton made it to 24 home runs in just a few minutes.
As if there was any question, Stanton advanced. He beat Seattle Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano 24-7. This wasn’t a football game. This was the Home Run Derby.
As a reward, Stanton had to face Baltimore Orioles slugger Mark Trumbo in the second round. Trumbo came into the event as the No. 1 seed since he leads Major League Baseball with 28 home runs in the first half.
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Stanton would prevail in Round 2, beating Trumbo 17-14. With the win, Stanton moved on to the finals to take on reigning champ Todd Frazier.
Frazier was no match for the mighty Stanton. The Marlins outfielder smashed 20 home runs in the final round, kicking things off. Frazier couldn’t pull off his third straight come back victory, hitting 13 to give Stanton the win.
Stanton first round set the tone, and he just kept going from there. If an enterprising fan wanted to start a petition to require Rob Manfred to put Stanton in the Derby every season until he retires, we might tell all our friends to sign it.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
