Alonso commits to another Derby, eyes 3rd title
Written by I Dig SportsPete Alonso will participate in his fifth straight Home Run Derby, with the New York Mets first baseman trying to win for the third time.
Baltimore's Gunnar Henderson and Philadelphia's Alec Bohm also have committed to the July 15 event at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
Alonso made the announcement Sunday night on Instagram.
Ken Griffey Jr. is the only three-time champion of the derby, winning in 1994, 1998 and 1999. The Derby was first staged in 1985.
Alonso won the competition in 2019 at Cleveland's Progressive Field as a rookie of, edging the Toronto Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 23-22 in the final round, then repeated in 2021 at Denver's Coors Field, beating the Baltimore Orioles' Trey Mancini by the same score. There was no derby in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Alonso was eliminated by the Seattle Mariners' Julio Rodríguez in the 2022 semifinals at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Juan Soto, then of the Washington Nationals, went on to win.
Alonso was knocked out 41-21 by Rodríguez last year at Seattle's T-Mobile Park, where Guerrero took the title and joined Vladimir Guerrero Sr. (2007) to become the first father-son duo to accomplish the feat.