Oakland Athletics slugger Yoenis Cespedes defeated Bryce Harper 9-8 in the final round of the last night’s 2013 MLB Home Run Derby, making him the first non-All-Star to win the event.Cespedes wowed the Citi Field crowd right from the get-go, smashing 17 home runs in the first round. Prince Fielder, Robinson Cano, and Pedro Alvarez combined for 15 home runs in the first round.
From there, Cespedes took the second round lightly as he already had enough home runs to advance to the finals. Harper was the epitome of consistency last night, hitting 8 home runs in each of the three rounds.
Chris Davis, the favorite, made it into the second round but appeared to rip open a callus on his hand which limited his effectiveness. Colorado Rockies slugger Michael Cuddyer was the other player to reach round two.
The captains of the event, Robinson Cano and David Wright, didn’t play a role in the outcome of the derby at all. Wright managed to launch five home runs, while Cano only managed 4.
Fun Facts
- Cespedes hit 32 home runs last night, tied for third-most ever in a single derby.
- Cespedes is the first Athletic to win the event since Mark McGuire in 1992.
- Davis hit the longest home run of the night (502 feet).
- There were a total of 103 home runs hit last night, which in turn raised $529,000 for charity.
