WATCH: Vladimir Guerrero Jr defeats Randy Arozarena 25-23 in intense HR Derby finale, MLB Twitter reacts
On Monday, Vladimir Guerrero Jr joined the footsteps of his legendary father to win the home-run derby. The Blue Jays star slammed a total of 72 HRs to win the competition.
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Vladimir Guerrero Jr with the HR Derby trophy (Pic Credit: Fox 4 Kansas City)
The 2023 Home-Run derby from Seattle turned out to be a spectacular event. Several records were shattered along the way, including Julio Rodriguez’s 41 HR feat in the first round against Pete Alonso. The tournament proved to be a historic one as Vladimir Guerrero Jr got the better of Rays’ Randy Arozarena in the final to win the whole thing. By accomplishing this feat, Guerrero Jr followed in the footsteps of his legendary father.
This win by the Blue Jays star marked the first time a father-son duo has won this competition. While Guerrero Jr was once a runner-up in 2019, his Hall of Fame father won the event in 2007. This was the junior Guerrero’s first appearance at the showpiece event in nearly our years. In the semi-finals, he took down J-Rod before setting up a blistering final with Arozarena.
Guerrero Jr would go on to beat Arozarena by a score of 25-23. He is now the seventh Dominican international to win the home-run derby. He joins an exclusive list of Sammy Sosa, Miguel Tejada, his own dad Vlad Guerrero Sr, David Ortiz, Robinson Cano, and Juan Soto. His father was left emotional after seeing the heroics of him and congratulated him through a small yet heartfelt message.
Twitter reacts as Vladimir Guerrero Jr wins 2023 Home Run Derby
Vladimir Guerrero Jr arrived in the MLB with heavy expectations and a burden on his shoulders. It has been many times in history that carrying the name and legacy of a player is never easy. Guerrero Jr had to follow the path of his hall-of-fame father. In the years gone by, he has passed this test with flying colors, making a big name for himself in the minds of baseball fans.
In his first attempt in 2019, Vladdy set a record of 40 home runs in a single round. Though that record was broken by Julio Rodriguez this year, Guerrero Jr had to settle with a runner-up spot four years ago. This time he did better than the previous outing and made sure he got the job done. He also became the first Blue Jays player to win the home-run derby. He smashed an incredible 72 bombs to come out victorious. Here are a few Twitter reactions:
Vlad Guerrero Jr will now be preparing himself for his third all-star appearance at the All-Star Game on Tuesday. He is not a starter though and will be hoping to join the action sooner or later for the American League team. The AL side has a slight edge over their NL counterparts.
In the previous 92 encounters between the two leagues, the AL has won 47 compared to NL’s 43 wins. There have also been two ties. This year though many players are missing the game due to injuries.
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