Pete Alonso 2023 Home Run Derby tracker: Mets slugger defeated by Julio Rodriguez in first round
Mets first baseman Pete Alonso is currently tied with sluggers Yoenis Cespedes and Prince Fielder with two career Home Run Derby victories, the second most in MLB history.
Tonight at T-Mobile Park, he is once again looking to join Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. as the only players with three titles to their name.
Last year, looking for his third consecutive victory, Alonso fell to Mariners slugger Julio Rodriguez in the semifinals. He'll got his shot at revenge against the 22-year-old in the first round this year.
Here is the latest on Alonso's quest...
Round 1 vs. Julio Rodriguez
Alonso ultimately fell short in his journey to his third Home Run Derby title, as he was defeated by Julio Rodriguez for the second straight year.
Rodriguez went first and he put on a show for the hometown fans, putting up 14 homers to start the round before taking his timeout with 1:30 remaining.
J-Rod continued his absurd pace after taking a breather, putting up 18 more home runs to finish the initial time. He homered nine times in the bonus time to finish with a total of 41 long balls, the most hit in a single HR Derby round.
With a big hole to climb out of, Alonso got off to a strong start, homering seven times over the first minute. He was able to reach 11 before using his timeout.
With just 1:21 left, plus the bonus time, he needed to hit 30 more home runs. That deficit proved to be too much for Alonso, as he went on to finish the regular time with 19 homers.
He hit just two more in the bonus round and finished with a total of 21, ultimately bringing his night to an early end in a 41-21 defeat.
Alonso cracked the 450 mark twice with his longest homer of the night traveling a total of 457 feet. His hardest hit one left the bat with an exit velocity of 113 mph.
