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2021 Home Run Derby Live Blog: Pete Alonso Wins Second Straight Title

Follow along live as MLB's top sluggers look to send balls into orbit at Coors Field in Denver.

Michael Shapiro

2021 Home Run Derby Live Blog: Pete Alonso Wins Second Straight Title
2021 Home Run Derby Live Blog: Pete Alonso Wins Second Straight Title /

It's Pete Alonso's world and we're just living in it. The Mets' slugger dominated the 2021 Home Run Derby on Monday night, seizing his second straight derby crown as he rolled through each round with relative ease. 

Alonso wasn't the lone superstar showing off at Coors Field on Monday. Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto turned in an epic first-round battle that ended in double overtime, while Trevor Story briefly set the record for the longest derby dinger in the Statcast era. After a slate of rule changes and underwhelming derby's for much of the last decade, Monday's derby was an electric event filled with notable stars. Let's hope to see the Home Run Derby unfold in a similar fashion in the coming years.

Miss any of the mammoth home runs launched on Monday night? Check out our live blog below.

10:45 p.m. – Alonso Seals the Deal

New York's slugger continued his derby dominance in Monday's final round as he bashed six straight home runs in the bonus round to eliminate Trey Mancini. Baltimore's leading bat turned in a solid 22 dingers in the final round, but it was no match for Alonso's power as he smacked homer after homer into the left field seats. Better luck next year to the competition as Alonso likely goes for his third straight crown. 

10:20 p.m. – Alonso Show Continues

Pete Alonso continued to belt balls into orbit in the second round, eliminating Juan Soto with 16 home runs as he advanced to the finals. And just like round one, Alonso moved on with complete ease. He blasted balls onto the concourse in left field, once again bobbing to the music on the stadium speakers. Monday night was expected to be the Ohtani show, but it was Alonso who proved to be the crowd favorite amid his dominant performance.

10 p.m. – Mancini Moves to Finals

Trevor Story's first derby appearance ended in the semifinals as Orioles slugger Trey Mancini finished his second round with 13 home runs. Mancini seemed to avoid fatigue throughout the round with a smooth, easy swing, and he could be in prime position to put up a significant number in the finals. As the Orioles look for a return to relevance in the AL East, Mancini is one of their franchise building blocks.  

9:40 – Ohtani Narrowly Eliminated

Baseball's brightest star struggled out of the gate in his first round, ripping line drives to right field as he couldn't quite find the right launch angle. But Ohtani delivered some theatrics down the stretch. He hit six home runs in his 30-second bonus round, forcing a tie with Soto. The overtime rounds delivered perhaps the greatest thrill of the night.

Soto hit six homers in the first bonus minute, a feat that was then matched by Ohtani. The next round featured a swing-off. Soto pummled three pitches for three straight dingers, leaving quite a standard for Ohtani to meet with his derby life on the line. The fun ended there. Ohtani hit a grounder on his first attempt in the swing-off, sending Soto to the second round after quite the clutch performance. The pressure of the derby appears to be nothing to Soto after winning the World Series in 2019. 

9:25 p.m. – Soto Sets Stage for Ohtani

It won't be easy for Shohei Ohtani to advance in the first round on Monday night. Nationals slugger Juan Soto finished his round with 22 homers, including a 520-foot shot deep to right field. Soto took full advantage of the left field bleachers as well, showing off his advanced swing at every opportunity. Soto could very well have a World Series ring and a Home Run Derby crown on his career resume after Monday night. 

9:10 p.m. – Polar Bear Vortex

The defending champion continued to put on a dominant derby exhibition on Monday night, smacking 35 home runs before time expired. And the final tally may not accurately describe the brilliance of Alonso's performance. New York's first baseman launched homers effortlessly, spending one of the timeouts simply jamming out to the soundtrack at Coors Field. It's hard to see even Ohtani taking down Alonso on Monday as the Mets' star delivers tape-measure shots to the left-field bleachers.

9 p.m. – Gallo Falls Just Short

There was a touch of controversy to end Joey Gallo's first round as it initially appeared as though he tied Story with a 20th homer as time expired. But Gallo was not awarded the extra second, ending his round with just 19 home runs. 

8:45 p.m. – Story Sets Derby Record

The hometown star is making the most of his derby appearance, mashing 20 dingers in the first round. And one homer in particular made some major noise at Coors. Story blasted a 518-foot shot in the middle of his round, setting a record for home-run-derby distance in the Statcast era. Story will look to fend off Gallo in the first round in a battle of elite power bats. 

8:35 p.m. – Olson Falls Just Short

Matt Olson nearly matched Mancini's first-round total, hitting 23 home runs as he concluded his round at a furious pace. 2021 marked Olson's first Home Run Derby appearance, but if his power is any indication, he could be a regular at the event in years to come.

Maybe the biggest loser of the first showdown was this fan, who couldn't quite reach one of Olson's bombs:

8:20 p.m. – Mancini Starts With 24 Homers

Orioles slugger Trey Mancini is one of the most inspiring stories in baseball, hitting 16 home runs in the season's first half after missing the entire 2020 season due to Stage 3 colon cancer. Mancini turned in an impressive performance in the first round on against Olson with 24 home runs, taking full advantage of altitude and warm temperatures. We'll see if Olson can match Mancini after his hot start. 

7:45 p.m. – Ohtani Puts on Batting-Practice Show

MLB's home run leader looks perfectly comfortable as the derby approaches. He launched a number of dingers in his pre-derby batting practice, including one that reportedly went 510 feet. Perhaps Ohtani or another masher will blast a ball completely out of Coors on Monday night. 

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Michael Shapiro
MICHAEL SHAPIRO

Michael Shapiro is a staff writer for Sports Illustrated. He is a Denver native and 2018 graduate of The University of Texas at Austin.

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