Home Run Derby Rules

Eric Stephen at Truebluela.com wrote a wonderful piece on the rules of the Home Run Derby. Not only is the article a must read for the HR Derby, but Eric is one of the best MLB bloggers out there. You will learn a lot reading his stuff, plus if you love puns then he might be your messiah.

The ESPN broadcast of the 2017 Home Run Derby starts with some music from Mr. 305, Pitbull. After introducing the contestants, the first round starts.

Home Run Derby First Round

Sano vs Moustakas

5. Miguel Sano (11 HR) – On his 9th home run of the first round, Sano blasted one off the terrible HR statue in Miami. Let’s hope that’s not the only time that happens. Maybe one of these powerful monsters can take that eye-sore out.

Sano hit 9 home runs through the regulation time. With his 30 second bonus time, Sano blasted two more ending with 11 in the first round. Sano was my pick to win it all, so Moustakas will have to hit 10 or less for Sano to advance.

4. Mike Moustakas (10 HR) – Moustakas homered on his first pitch, but has taken over a minute fifteen to hit his second.

He just took his time out, now sitting at seven home runs with 1:30 left, though yet without a 30 second bonus.

With 20 seconds left, Mouse is 1 away from tying!

And he goes 0-fer his last minute or so, with Sano advancing to the second round.

Sanchez vs Stanton

8. Gary Sanchez (17 HR) – Sanchez has blasted six home runs in the first minute and a half of the round.

You have to wonder with eight home runs already, if Logan Morrison is watching Sanchez hit and wondering if he would be doing this right now if he were there.

Sanchez just hit an absolute bomb that just nearly missed hitting the roof.

With 1:12 left, Sanchez takes his time out and is sitting already at 12 home runs AND bonus time earned.

Sanchez finishes regulation with 15 home runs. With his bonus 30 seconds, Sanchez smacks out another two home runs giving him an intimidating 17 home runs in the first round.

1. Giancarlo Stanton (16 HR) – Stanton starts out in a 17 home run hole, but if anyone can dig his way out, it’s Stanton.

Through 1:10, Stanton has just hit only his second home run. He needs to do some catching up. However that was a 496 foot home run, which should count for at least five.

Stanton is getting in a groove, now sitting at 9 through 1:50, and each and every HR is a rocket or a bomb.

Stanton is going absolutely insane. Now up at 12 with a minute left plus bonus time!

He seems to have hit the wall and has tired himself out with his frantic pace. He still ends regulation with 15 home runs and the extra 30 seconds to come.

Stanton has FIVE home runs longer than 485, with all five of them being the longest so far.

Ohhhhhh, Stanton ends up with 16 home runs and comes up just short of tying Gary Sanchez’s 17. What a match-up and what a round for Stanton!

We are now two match-ups in, and the Judge vs Stanton finals is already dead. I’m sure Yankee fans are very excited about a Sanchez vs Judge match-up instead now.

Blackmon vs Bellinger

6. Charlie Blackmon (14 HR) – Blackmon has hit five powerful looking home runs through two mins.

With a minute nine left, Blackmon takes his time out and is sitting on 10 home runs. He hasn’t been hitting the ball like Sano, Sanchez, or Stanton power-wise, but is still looking very good out there.

Blackmon finishes regulation with an impressive 14 home runs, but did not hit two home runs longer than 440 feet so does not get any extra time.

3. Cody Bellinger (15 HR) – Bellinger starts off with his father, former Yankee Clay Bellinger, pitching to him.

Bellinger rocks his third home run 441 feet into the top deck in right field for his third home run.

Bellinger seems very laid back, not rushing to hit any of the pitches to him.

He takes his time with 1:50 remaining, sitting currently at six home runs.

With a minute left, Bellinger is at 11 home runs and no bonus as of yet.

At the last second Bellinger ties it with a 440+ foot home run to get the bonus time!

With five seconds left, Bellinger hits his 15th home run to eliminate Blackmon and advance to the second round! Bellinger definitely has a flair for dramatics.

Bour vs Judge

7. Justin Bour (22 HR) – The other Miami slugger Justin Bour steps in to start his match-up vs Judge.

Bour just crushed his second home run most of the way to the top of the top deck in right field.

Bour looks like today’s Matt Stairs, just a BIG dude who can mash.

He’s already got 11 home runs through 1:35 remaining. Dude has big time power.

He just destroyed one a row or two back of the wall at the back of the right field seats!!!

Aaron Judge must be wondering how the heck he is going to compete with this, Bour has 19 with 10 seconds left PLUS bonus time!

Bour ends his extra time with an unbelievable TWENTY TWO HOME RUNS leaving the Miami crowd as excited as they have been all season!

2. Aaron Judge (23 HR) – Judge just clubbed three home runs in the first 30 seconds, showing maybe this is still a contest.

Judge just crushed one over the top of the Marlins statue for his seventh home run, then takes his time out. He is sitting at 7 with 2:16 left.

Judge just hit one that looks like it left the yards entirely!

He just hit the lights hanging from the roof!!!

Unbelievable, Judge is at 19 with 30 seconds left plus bonus time, only 3 back of Bour!

Judge ties it up just before regulation ends, and will have 30 seconds to hit a single home run to advance. Wow.

It looks like the one that hit the lights did not count as a HR, so Judge had to jump back into the box after hitting what looked like his 23rd home run, then easily hit his “24th” home run to advance over Bour.

Home Run Derby Semifinals

Sanchez vs Sano

8. Gary Sanchez (10 HR)- Sanchez hits his 4th home run off of the Marlins statue in CF. Sadly it remains in tact.

Sanchez takes a time out with 2:04 left and just four home runs to this point. He will need to turn it on if he wants to keep up with the others having all hit at least 11.

The update has Judge leading in HR distance at 501.

Sanchez looks tired, still only at five home runs with 1:30 remaining. Logan Morrison has to be thinking he could beat this effort.

Sanchez finishes regulation with nine home runs, and still has the extra 30 seconds to play with.

He hits one with his extra 30 seconds, finishing at 10 total.

5. Miguel Sano (11 HR)- Sano hit 11 in the first round, and has to hit another 11 to advance to the finals to beat Gary Sanchez here.

A minute in, Sano has blasted four home runs already. He seems to be aiming for the Budweiser sign.

With two minutes left, Sano takes his time out. He is sitting at six home runs and already has earned his 30 seconds of bonus time.

Sano isn’t hitting a ton of home runs tonight, but the ones he has hit have soared. Nine home runs now with over a minute left.

Sano lines his 11th home run of the round out with 43 seconds remaining, advancing to the Finals.

Bellinger vs Judge

3. Cody Bellinger (12 HR) – Bellinger starts with three home runs in the first minute fifteen. Based on Judge’s first round, Bellinger needs to get it going in a higher gear.

With 2:16 left, Bellinger is sitting on five home runs hit. Everyone seems to be more tired in the second round than the first, but that is to be expected.

40 seconds to go, no bonus time yet, and sitting at 10 home runs.

Bellinger ends his second round with 12 home runs, and I don’t believe any longer than 440 feet. It will take a tired Judge for Bellinger to face Sano in the final round.

2. Aaron Judge (13 HR)- Judge takes his timeout at 2:48 with 5 home runs so far.

Judge just hit the highest home run of the night from what it looked like. Holy cow!

With 1:30 left, Judge is sitting at 11 HR just one shy of Bellinger.

Aaron Judge wins with just under a minute left as well as the bonus time in his back pocket. His last home run of the round was more impressive than the one I mentioned 3 sentences ago! People on Twitter have it at 513 feet!

Home Run Derby Finals

Sano vs Judge

5. Miguel Sano (10 HR) – Sano has zero home runs through 45 seconds. He is looking tired.

With only one home run through a minute and a half, Sano takes a timeout.

That’s three in a row now.

Sano takes another timeout, with only 4 home runs and less than 90 seconds remaining.

At just five home runs with 30 seconds remaining, it looks as though my pick to win has completely run out of gas.

Sano went on a roll at the end, getting his second 440-plus home run earning an extra 30 seconds sitting at 10 home runs now.

He ends up hitting zero in the final 30 seconds, and Aaron Judge just needs 11 home runs to win the 2017 Home Run Derby.

2. Aaron Judge (11 HR) – Judge has come out of the gates quite literally swinging with four home runs in the first 40 seconds and already has the extra 30 second bonus.

Six home runs in the first minute for Judge.

HOW was this guy not slugging .700 in the minors??????????????

Judge has tied it in less than two minutes. He just hit his 11th home run just past the two minute mark, and is your 2017 Home Run Derby champion. He was flat out perfect, and exactly what those not rooting against him were hoping for.

2017 Home Run Derby Winner

Aaron Judge with roughly 3,428 home runs hit at an average distance of 641 feet.