It’s now been two days since Joc Pederson’s incredible performance at the Home Run Derby, and it’s safe to say we’re still in awe of what we witnessed on Monday night.
Unfortunately, Pederson didn’t win. In fact, he didn’t even make it to the finals. But his performance will go down as one of the all-time greats and more memorable ones in Derby history.
He got things started right away, as he was the first hitter to step up to the plate. In the first round, he crushed 21 homers, besting Houston Astros third baseman, Alex Bregman, who hit 16.
In the next round, Pederson was faced with a daunting task, as he was set to square off against Toronto Blue Jays rookie, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. In the first round, Guerrero Jr. set an all-time Derby record, with 29 homers in the first round.
Guerrero went first in the second round, and yet again, hit 29 homers. With no players in the history ever hitting 29 in a round, Guerrero had just done it twice, making it a daunting task and likely impossible one for Pederson.
Pederson was up for it, as he hit 29 homers to send the round into a tie, something that had never happened before in home run derby history. With the new rules set up, each player would have a minute to see how many more they could hit.
Guerrero Jr. went first, hitting eight to put his total at 37. Yet again, with his back against the wall, Pederson matched him. Hitting eight as well, Pederson sent the matchup into a “swing-off”, with each player getting three swings.
Each player hit a home run with their three swings, sending it into another swing-off. Vlad Jr. hit two, putting his total at 40. Joc hit one, and with one swing left, needed a home run to keep the round going. He couldn’t hit one over, and ultimately lost the round, 40-39 in a matchup that won’t soon be forgotten about.
How have Dodgers faired AFTER the Derby?
Now that the Home Run Derby has come and gone, all of the focus and attention will be on whether or not any of the participants are affected by it. A lot of people assume that players’ swings are affected, and they struggle vitally in the second half. Is that the case? Let’s take a look at Dodgers players who have participated in the Derby in years past, and see how they’ve adjusted.
Mike Piazza, 1993
Prior to ASG: 82 games, 18 HR, 58 RBI, .317/.360/.539/.899
After ASG: 64 games, 17 HR, 54 RBI, .320/.384/.589/.973
Mike Piazza, 1994
Prior to ASG: 83 games, 21 HR, 76 RBI, .325/.364/.563/.927
After ASG: 24 games, 3 HR, 16 RBI, .294/.388/.459/.847
Raul Mondesi, 1995
Prior to ASG: 68 games, 13 HR, 40 RBI, .315/.362/.541/.903
After ASG: 71 games, 13 HR, 48 RBI, .256/.293/.451/.744
Hee-Seop Choi, 2005
Prior to ASG: 78 games, 13 HR, 32 RBI, .236/.318/.458/.777
After ASG: 55 games, 2 HR, 10 RBI, .288/.372/.442/.814
Matt Kemp, 2011
Prior to ASG: 92 games, 22 HR, 67 RBI, .313/.398/.584/.982
After ASG: 69 games, 17 HR, 59 RBI, .337/.400/.590/.990
Matt Kemp, 2012
Prior to ASG: 36 games, 12 HR, 28 RBI, .355/.444/.719/1.163
After ASG: 70 games, 11 HR, 41 RBI, .280/.331/.461/.792
Yasiel Puig, 2014
Prior to ASG: 90 games, 12 HR, 52 RBI, .309/.393/.522/.915
After ASG: 58 games, 4 HR, 17 RBI, .274/.366/.414/.780
Joc Pederson, 2015
Prior to ASG: 89 games, 20 HR, 40 RBI, .230/.364/.487/.851
After ASG: 62 games, 6 HR, 14 RBI, .178/.317/.300/.617
Corey Seager, 2016
Prior to ASG: 90 games, 17 HR, 42 RBI, .297/.357/.521/.879
After ASG: 67 games, 9 HR, 30 RBI, .321/.376/.500/.876
Cody Bellinger, 2017
Prior to ASG: 70 games, 25 HR, 58 RBI, .261/.342/.619/.961
After ASG: 62 games, 14 HR, 39 RBI, .274/.363/.538/.901
Max Muncy, 2018
Prior to ASG: 74 games, 22 HR, 41 RBI, .271/.409/.604/1.013
After ASG: 63 games, 13 HR, 38 RBI, .253/.366/.553/.919
Joc Pederson, 2019
Prior to ASG: 82 games, 20 HR, 42 RBI, .239/.333/.521/.855
After ASG: ????