The 2022 T-Mobile Home Run Derby is here, and some of the greatest sluggers in the game are taking their cuts at Dodger Stadium. Mets star Pete Alonso, the event’s reigning two-time champ, is looking to become the first player in history to win three consecutive Derbies.
Watch every swing live on ESPN and follow along with our T-Mobile Derby Tracker here, with each player’s performance updated below as the Derby unfolds.
No. 6 seed: Julio Rodríguez, Mariners: 32 first-round homers (advanced)
The Mariners phenom got the show started in L.A. with the second-most homers in any round by a rookie in Derby history. Swinging a black bat with his nickname “J-Rod” plastered all over it in Mariners green, Rodríguez crushed a 463-foot shot to left-center at Dodger Stadium for the first home run of the Derby. J-Rod heated up fast in his first Home Run Derby, crushing 14 home runs before calling timeout just over halfway through his round — then adding 11 more to take his total to 25 before bonus time. Seven more home runs in bonus time earned Rodríguez a standing ovation from the Dodger Stadium crowd. J-Rod hit 10 homers of 440-plus feet, and six 450-footers.
LONGEST HR: 463 feet
HARDEST HR: 109 mph
AVG. HR DISTANCE: 420 feet
AVG. HR EXIT VELO: 104.4 mph
No. 3 seed: Corey Seager, Rangers: 24 first-round homers (eliminated)
Making a return to the stadium he used to call home, Seager had a tough act to follow after Rodríguez crushed 32 home runs to lead off the Derby. With his dad, Jeffrey, throwing to him, Seager earned bonus time early with two of his first four homers going more than 440 feet. He got up to 10 dingers before taking his timeout. Seager got into a groove once he came back, blasting 10 more homers to run his total to 20 before bonus time. He couldn’t overcome the deficit, though, ending with 24 home runs.
LONGEST HR: 451 feet
HARDEST HR: 106 mph
AVG. HR DISTANCE: 416 feet
AVG. HR EXIT VELO: 102.7 mph
No. 2 seed: Pete Alonso, Mets: 20 first-round homers (advanced)
The man to beat in the competition, Alonso started his quest for a three-peat against an intradivision rival in Acuña, who hit 19 home runs. Alonso was vibing early, bobbing his head to the music that filled Dodger Stadium. His first swing was a 109-mph rocket. He followed that a few swings later with a massive 480-foot homer, earning an extra minute in a span of four homers. Alonso still had some work to do, as he hit only 10 home runs before his break. He came back a little sluggish, hitting three homers before rattling off four straight to bring his total to 17 ahead of bonus time. Alonso needed only 30 seconds before walking it off with his 20th dinger.
LONGEST HR: 480 feet
HARDEST HR: 113 mph
AVG. HR DISTANCE: 429 feet
AVG. HR EXIT VELO: 108.3 mph
No. 7 seed: Ronald Acuña Jr., Braves: 19 first-round homers (eliminated)
Facing the two-time reigning champion Pete Alonso in the first round — his second straight Derby matchup against Alonso, who beat him, 20-19, in the semifinals in 2019 — Acuña got off to a little bit of a slow start. But the Braves star recovered to belt 18 home runs by the end of regulation time, including a 472-foot blast that drew “Oohs” from the crowd. That was his only homer of 440-plus feet, though, so Acuña got only 30 seconds of bonus time instead of a full minute. He added one more homer to bring his total to 19, the same as the last time he faced Alonso.
LONGEST HR: 472 feet
HARDEST HR: 117 mph
AVG. HR DISTANCE: 408 feet
AVG. HR EXIT VELO: 107.1 mph
No. 5 seed: José Ramírez, Guardians: 17 first-round homers
In his quest to become the first switch-hitter to win a Home Run Derby outright, Ramírez batted righty at Dodger Stadium — even though he’s hit a lot more home runs as a lefty in his MLB career. He finally found his groove late in the round, reaching 15 home runs despite having only four when he called his timeout. J-Ram didn’t hit any 440-footers, but he added two more home runs in his extra 30 seconds to take his first-round total to 17.
LONGEST HR: 421 feet
HARDEST HR: 104 mph
AVG. HR DISTANCE: 387 feet
AVG. HR EXIT VELO: 99.3 mph
No. 4 seed: Juan Soto, Nationals
19 home runs when seeds were set
No. 8 seed: Albert Pujols, Cardinals
6 home runs when seeds were set