ARLINGTON, Texas — Pete Alonso made history in the Home Run Derby, but it wasn’t enough.
Alonso, who was seeking a third Derby victory to tie Ken Griffey Jr. for the most all-time, was hit by 12 home runs in the first round at Globe Life Field on Monday before quietly exiting the tournament.
Simply trying made Alonso a rare presence.
While other stars might play in the Derby but quit after one or two appearances — Aaron Judge (2017 winner) and Juan Soto (2022 winner) watched Alonso compete from behind first base — Alonso keeps coming back.
He became just the eighth slugger to appear at least five times.
Alonso brought back former Mets bench coach and now Nationals consultant Dave Jauss as his pitching staffer for 2021, but they couldn’t recapture the magic.
Alonso, who came to bat to Jose Iglesias’ “OMG,” had hit just nine home runs prior to the bonus round.
The new Derby format opened up the first round of competition, eliminated head-to-head play until the second round, and limited batters to 40 pitches, allowing only four batters to advance; Alonso placed fifth out of five entrants.
Fans still appreciate Alonso’s enthusiasm and he believes he does, just like his younger self did.
“It’s just so much fun to do,” Alonso said beforehand. “I’m doing it for my older self, for my 7-year-old self.”
