With every All-Star game weekend comes a new opportunity for Major League players to make their mark in front of the entire world. This year, at Petco Park in San Diego, Calif., the Home Run Derby turned into a historic event for one reason: Giancarlo Stanton.
Stanton is one of the premier power hitters in the big leagues today, consistently hitting tape-measure homers that are seemingly impossible to imagine. Of the eight competitors, which included 2011 Derby winner Robinson Cano and 2015 Home Run Derby defending champion Todd Frazier, Stanton was the most impressive not just because of how many home runs he hit, but how far they went too.
After two rounds of the derby, in which Stanton defeated Cano and Mark Trumbo, he totaled over 18,000 feet in home runs. Over three-and-a-half miles. Stanton also got to hit another round, in which he hit 20 more home runs to total for more than five miles in home run distance. Simply put, Stanton is a strong man with freak power. Three of his homers went for 497 feet, and including those three, 15 were greater than 480 feet. Oh, and did I mention that Stanton has the longest regular season home run at 490 feet against the Phillies on May 6? Yeah, enough said.
The previous record before this year for most homers hit in the derby was 41 and was set by Bobby Abreu in 2005. Although it's a new format, I think most of the baseball world is in agreement: Stanton's 61 home runs in this years derby is legit. With the new format, players get four minutes to put as many balls out as they can and they get an added 30 seconds if they hit two or more homers over 440 feet. Stanton went to the extra time in every round, and seemingly with ease. Of the 19 longest home runs of the night, Stanton hit 18 of them, including the ten longest homers. Talk about a freak athlete.
Stanton didn't just meet the expectations of MLB fans, he surpassed them and set a new bar. How is he, let alone other players, supposed to follow up on such a historic night in next years Home Run Derby? It's going to be tough, especially in Miami's ballpark, the site of the 2017 All-Star Game.
Giancarlo Stanton also gave MLB executives something to be proud of tonight. He proved that the MLB has found a format that works for the Home Run Derby. It was compelling to fans and players alike, and it showed the true skill it takes to hit home runs in a major league ballpark. I was there for two and a half hours just watching guys hit baseballs to the moon, and it was one of the most exciting events I've ever been to. Even if Stanton wasn't competing in the derby, it still would've been a blast, but he made it that much sweeter for the fans of Major League Baseball.
