Everyone thought they knew how the 2023 Home Run Derby would go. Pete Alonso was the betting favorite, hunting for his third trophy to tie Ken Griffey Jr. Or maybe Julio Rodríguez, the hometown hero in Seattle, would ride the wave of 47,000 screaming fans at T-Mobile Park to a fairy-tale win.
Instead? We got a historic father-son moment and a reminder that in this contest, pacing is basically everything.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. ended the night with the chain around his neck. By doing so, he and his Hall of Fame father, Vladimir Guerrero Sr. (who won in 2007), became the first father-son duo to ever win the event. It’s kinda poetic when you think about it. But the path to that trophy was anything but a straight line. Honestly, the 2023 Home Run Derby was a chaotic, record-breaking night that saw 341 total balls leave the park—covering a combined 26 miles of distance.
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The Record That Didn’t Win
If you only looked at the final score, you’d miss the most insane performance of the night. Julio Rodríguez, hitting in his home stadium, went absolutely nuclear in the first round.
He hit 41 home runs.
That’s a new single-round record. He didn’t just beat Pete Alonso; he demoralized him. Alonso, the "Polar Bear," hit a respectable 21, but when the guy before you puts up 41, what are you even supposed to do? J-Rod was hitting homers on 69.5% of his swings. It was electric. T-Mobile Park was shaking.
But here is the thing about the 2023 Home Run Derby: it’s a marathon, not a sprint.
By the time Julio got to the semifinals against Vladdy Jr., he was gassed. You could see it in his bat speed. It dropped from an average of 104.1 mph in the first round to 102.7 mph in the second. He only managed 20 homers in that semi-final round. Guerrero Jr. just had to hit 21 to move on, which he did with steady, methodical power.
The Switch-Hitting Magic of Adley Rutschman
While the "Big Three" of Vladdy, Julio, and Pete grabbed the headlines, Adley Rutschman pulled off the coolest move of the night.
Most people forget he actually lost in the first round to Luis Robert Jr. (28 to 27). But the way he got those 27 was legendary. Rutschman started the round hitting left-handed, which is his "weaker" side for power. He knocked 20. Then, for the 30-second bonus round, he casually stepped over to the right side of the plate.
He went 7-for-8 from the right side.
The crowd lost its mind. It was a "where were you" moment that basically proved Rutschman is a bit of a baseball unicorn. Even though he didn't advance, that visual of the ball-boys and kids in the outfield scrambling to the other side of the field when he switched boxes is a permanent highlight of the 2023 Home Run Derby.
Randy Arozarena: The Ultimate Showman
You can't talk about this night without mentioning Randy Arozarena. He showed up in cowboy boots. He did his signature "arms crossed" pose after almost every big hit. He was there to entertain.
Randy actually hit more total home runs than anyone else that night. He finished with 82. For comparison, the winner, Guerrero Jr., finished with 72.
How does that happen?
It’s the bracket system. Randy put up massive numbers early—24 in the first round against his best friend Adolis García, then a staggering 35 in the semifinals to knock out the No. 1 seed, Luis Robert Jr. (who hit the longest ball of the night at 484 feet).
By the time the finals rolled around, Randy was running on fumes. He and Vladdy were both visibly exhausted. Vladdy went first and put up 25. Arozarena had 21 going into his final 30 seconds of bonus time. He needed four to tie, five to win. He got two quickly, then just... ran out of gas. He failed to homer on his last seven swings.
2023 Home Run Derby Full Results
- Quarterfinals:
- Randy Arozarena (24) def. Adolis García (17)
- Luis Robert Jr. (28) def. Adley Rutschman (27)
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (26) def. Mookie Betts (11)
- Julio Rodríguez (41) def. Pete Alonso (21)
- Semifinals:
- Randy Arozarena (35) def. Luis Robert Jr. (22)
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (21) def. Julio Rodríguez (20)
- Finals:
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (25) def. Randy Arozarena (23)
Why Vladdy Jr. Won (and Others Didn’t)
Guerrero Jr. learned from his 2019 heartbreak. Back then, he hit 91 total home runs (the all-time record) but lost in the finals to Pete Alonso because he was too tired to finish the job.
In the 2023 Home Run Derby, he was much more surgical. He didn't try to break the record in the first round. He just did enough to beat Mookie Betts (who only hit 11). He conserved energy. When he faced Julio in the semis, he didn't panic when the crowd was against him. He stayed in his rhythm.
Winning the Derby isn't just about raw power; it's about heart rate management and having a pitcher who can put the ball in the exact same spot for three minutes straight. John Schneider, the Blue Jays manager, was that guy for Vladdy. Their chemistry was a huge factor in those final 25 homers.
Takeaways for Future Derbies
If you're a fan trying to predict the next winner or just appreciating the craft, there are a few "hidden" rules that the 2023 Home Run Derby made very clear:
- The "Home Field" Curse is real-ish: Only three players have ever won in their home park. Julio's 41-homer outburst was amazing, but it essentially guaranteed he wouldn't have the legs for the final round.
- Seeding matters less than stamina: Being the No. 1 seed (Luis Robert Jr.) didn't help much. In fact, the lower seeds often have the advantage of knowing exactly what number they need to beat, allowing them to stop swinging once they clinch.
- Bonus time is the tiebreaker: Vladdy earned the full minute of bonus time in the finals by hitting two homers over 440 feet. That extra 30 seconds is often the difference between a trophy and a "good job, buddy" handshake.
If you want to dive deeper into the stats, go watch the Statcast reels of Luis Robert Jr.’s 484-foot blast. It’s one of the most aesthetically pleasing home runs ever recorded. Otherwise, the best thing you can do is re-watch Rutschman’s switch-hitting clinic—it's a masterclass in pure hand-eye coordination.
Next Step: Check out the official MLB Statcast exit velocity leaderboards for the 2023 season to see how these Derby performances translated to actual game power.