Nationals superstar Soto walks off Rodriguez to win HR Derby
The price keeps going up.
Washington Nationals superstar Juan Soto knocked off Seattle Mariners rookie Julio Rodriguez 19-18 in the final round to win the 2022 Home Run Derby crown Monday at Dodger Stadium.
Whole Lotta Platano Power. 🇩🇴#HomeRunDerby | #NATITUDE pic.twitter.com/o7iVMAOOgV
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) July 19, 2022
Soto, who entered as the No. 4 seed, took down Jose Ramirez in the opening round before eliminating Albert Pujols in Round 2.
The 23-year-old becomes the second-youngest Home Run Derby champion in history.
"It feels amazing," Soto said afterward.
Check out coverage from the entire Derby below:
Round 2
4. Juan Soto vs. 8 Albert Pujols
| Player | Total HR | Longest HR |
|---|---|---|
| Soto | 16 | 459 |
| Pujols | 15 | 418 |
Soto, 23, needed a bit of extra time but was able to eliminate Pujols with 16 second-round homers. He'll now face the 21-year-old Rodriguez in the final round.
2. Pete Alonso vs. 6. Julio Rodriguez
| Player | Total HR | Longest HR |
|---|---|---|
| Rodriguez | 31 | 450 |
| Alonso | 23 | 463 |
JROD STOPS THREE-PETE
— Bally Sports (@BallySports) July 19, 2022
Julio Rodriguez hit 31 HRs to end Pete Alonso's bid for a third straight Home Run Derby title
(via @Sportsnet) pic.twitter.com/1bKRsWXBNr
The Polar Bear has been dethroned.
Rodriguez upset two-time defending champion Alonso with a dominant 31-homer second round to advance to the final. The 21-year-old rookie is the first Derby participant to have back-to-back 30-homer rounds, according to Jayson Stark of The Athletic.
Round 1
1. Kyle Schwarber vs. 8. Albert Pujols
| Player | Total HR | Longest HR |
|---|---|---|
| Pujols | 13 (7) | 434 |
| Schwarber | 13 (6) | 470 |
PUJOLS KNOCKS OUT SCHWARBER! 😱#HomeRunDerby | #STLCards pic.twitter.com/gqebN4nkzb
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) July 19, 2022
The 42-year-old Pujols pulled off one of the biggest upsets in Derby history, beating Schwarber - the NL's home-run leader - in a swing-off. Pujols, competing in his fifth career Derby, is the only player to advance out of the first round five times, according to ESPN Stats & Info. He now moves on to face Soto in the other semifinal.
Hats off to you, @PujolsFive. pic.twitter.com/qh3dDKQKqM
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) July 19, 2022
4. Juan Soto vs. 5. Jose Ramirez
| Player | Total HR | Longest HR |
|---|---|---|
| Soto | 18 | 482 |
| Ramirez | 17 | 421 |
JUAN SOTO WALK OFF AND BAT FLIP pic.twitter.com/YH43n56NId
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) July 19, 2022
Ramirez, a switch-hitter who chose to swing from the right side, could only muster 17 long balls in his Derby debut. That was nothing for Soto, who cruised into the semis by hitting 18 without needing any extra time, punctuating the victory with an epic bat toss.
2. Pete Alonso vs. 7. Ronald Acuna Jr.
| Player | Total HR | Longest HR |
|---|---|---|
| Alonso | 20 | 480 |
| Acuna | 19 | 472 |
Pete Alonso makes it look easy pic.twitter.com/VBanqNjRoa
— Kenny Morales (@KennyMoralesTV) July 19, 2022
Acuna provided one cool moment when he cleared Dodger Stadium's roof, but it wasn't enough. Alonso, the two-time defending champion, started slowly but turned it on late to walk off Acuna and advance to the second round.
3. Corey Seager vs. 6. Julio Rodriguez
| Player | Total HR | Longest HR |
|---|---|---|
| Rodriguez | 32 | 463 |
| Seager | 24 | 451 |
Julio Rodríguez finishes off an electric first round with 32 homers! pic.twitter.com/xmDd0mWrsx
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) July 19, 2022
Seager may know Dodger Stadium well, but he had no chance against the Mariners' 21-year-old phenom. Rodriguez became an instant star with 32 first-round homers, the second-most in the opening round of a Derby ever and the fourth-most in any single round.