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Seattle Mariners superstar Cal Raleigh was recently crowned as the Home Run Derby champion and in the process, made history by being the first catcher to win the prestigious event. After barely scraping by in the first round, Raleigh outclassed Rays upstart Junior Caminero to win the event that emanated from Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia.
Raleigh also broke the streak of Dominican sluggers' dominance in the event, as for the past three years, hitters that represented the proud Caribbean nation took home the grand prize of $1,000,000.
With the plethora of talent and a massive prize pool for the event, let's take a look at the best home run derby champions since the turn of the millennium.
Top 5 Home Run Derby champions of the 21st century
5) Juan Soto (2022)
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Clocking in at just 23 years and 266 days old, Juan Soto became the second-youngest winner of the event after he clinched the title in 2022. In a showdown against fellow young gun Julio Rodriguez (who smashed a mind-boggling 63 home runs in the first two rounds), it was the then-National that snagged the title from the 21-year-old Rodriguez in a preview of MLB's next generation of sluggers.
4) Miguel Tejada (2004)
Miguel Tejada won the 2004 version of the derby after outclassing perhaps the most stacked pool of competitors in the history of the event. Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Rafael Palmeiro, David Ortiz, and Jim Thome all participated in the slugging spectacle, but it was ultimately Tejada, who fended off home team star Lance Berkman in the final, who came away with the win in Houston.
3) Prince Fielder (2009 & 2012)
One of the most beloved figures in MLB during the late 2000s, Prince Fielder became the first double-champion of the century when he won the derbies of 2009 and 2012. He also became the first slugger in history to win the event while representing the National League (Brewers, 2009) and the American League (Tigers, 2012).
2) Yoenis Cespedes (2013 & 2014)
The only back-to-back Home Run Derby champion of the century, Cespedes put a stop to Prince Fielder's third title bid when he won the contest in 2013 and became the first non-All-Star derby champion. He followed it up the following year after utterly dominating the Reds' Todd Frazier in the final, 9-1, to claim his second derby crown.
1) Pete Alonso (2019 & 2021)
Pete Alonso takes the crown for the best Home Run Derby champion of this century after winning consecutive versions of the event and producing consistency whenever he participates (2020 was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic).
His first title came in 2019 when he outgunned Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in Cleveland. Alonso then added to his trophy cabinet after defeating the inspirational Trey Mancini in Colorado the following year. He made it to the semi-finals for the third-straight edition in 2022 but was eventually eliminated by the in-form Julio Rodriguez.
