KC Royals All-Star Bobby Witt Jr. comes up just short in Home Run Derby final

By a mere few feet, Bobby Witt Jr. fell in the Home Run Derby final Monday night.

Down to his final out and trailing Teoscar Hernandez of the Los Angeles Dodgers by one, Witt sent a ball to one of the deepest parts of Globe Life Field. The ball bounced off the fence near the 410-feet sign.

It was a terrific effort from Witt, the 24-year old star who went deeper in the Home Run Derby than any of the previous four Royals who have participated.

Hernandez, 31, who spent six of his nine major-league seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays and has 178 career home runs, went first in the showdown.

The parameters changed for the finals. Limits on the first two rounds were three minutes and 40 pitches. For the final, it was two minutes and 27 pitches.

Hernandez finished with 14 homers. Witt didn’t watch. He was in the batting cage.

Witt took a timeout with 70 seconds and 15 pitches remaining in his final round. He clubbed seven more homers to reach 11, and through bonus balls added two more.

Had they finished with the same total, Witt and Hernandez would have engaged in a three-swing playoff — a “swingoff.”

Witt, who grew up about 20 miles from the Texas Rangers’ home ballpark, moved into the final after defeating Jose Ramirez of the Cleveland Guardians in the second round..

Witt’s second-round effort started slowly with six home runs and just 20 pitches remaining. But he slugged 11 homers on those remaining throws from James Russell, a lefty former major-leaguer who is married to Witt’s sister.

None of Witt’s bonus balls left the yard, but his total of 17 was more than enough to top Ramirez in an elimination second round and send a Royals player to the finals for the first time.

The same formula worked for Witt in the first round, where the top four advanced.

Witt, the second hitter, belted five home runs in the first 21 pitches. He called timeout with 1:36 remaining on the three-minute clock, and after getting some counsel from fellow Royal and All-Star Salvador Perez, Witt heated up.

He hit 11 more home runs in regulation time, then bashed four more in the bonus round to finish with 20, one behind the Phillies’ Alec Bohm, who entered the contest with the fewest dongs this season, 11.

Because he went second, Witt had to wait out six more hitters, needing three of them to fall below his total.

That’s what happened. Adolis Garcia of the home-team Rangers had the crowd behind him but he fell short with 18 homers.

Next up, Hernandez. He had four home runs that measured at least 445 feet, and qualified with with 19 in all.

The derby favorite, Pete Alonzo of the New York Mets, had been seeking to join Ken Griffey Jr. as the only three-time winners. But Alonzo was the first contestant eliminated — he never got in a rhythm and finished with 12.

At that point, Witt remained in second place. He got pushed to third when Ramirez walloped 21.

But Witt clinched his spot in the semifinals when the Atlanta Braves’ Marcell Ozuna couldn’t climb above 16. And even if Ozuna had pushed ahead of Witt, the Royals shortstop would have qualified when Gunnar Henderson of the Balitmore Orioles, with the most real-life home runs (28) entering the derby, finished with a first-round low of 11.

Witt was the fifth Royals player to participate in the Home Run Derby, following Bo Jackson in 1989, Danny Tartabull in 1991, Mike Moustakas in 2017 and Perez in 2021.

Perez put on a show in his appearance, smashing 28 home runs, the second-highest total of the first round. But the rules were different then, with first-round opponents matched up in an elimination setting.

Perez lost out to Alonzo, who hit 35 in Colorado.

Home Run Derby winners

2024: Teoscar Hernandez, Los Angeles Dodgers

2023: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Toronto Blue Jays

2022: Juan Soto, Washington Nationals

2021: Pete Alonso, New York Mets

2020: Canceled due to COVID-19

2019: Pete Alonso, New York Mets

2018: Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals

2017: Aaron Judge, New York Yankees

2016: Giancarlo Stanton, New York Yankees

2015: Todd Frazier, Cincinnati Reds

2014: Yoenis Cespedes, Oakland Athletics

2013: Yoenis Cespedes, Oakland Athletics

2012: Prince Fielder, Detroit Tigers

2011: Robinson Cano, New York Yankees

2010: David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox

2009: Prince Fielder, Milwaukee Brewers

2008: Justin Morneau, Minnesota Twins

2007: Vladimir Guerrero, Los Angeles Angels

2006: Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies

2005: Bobby Abreu, Philadelphia Phillies

2004: Miguel Tejada, Baltimore Orioles

2003: Garret Anderson, Anaheim Angels

2002: Jason Giambi, New York Yankees

2001: Luis Gonzalez, Arizona Diamondbacks

2000: Sammy Sosa, Chicago Cubs

1999: Ken Griffey Jr., Seattle Mariners

1998: Ken Griffey Jr., Seattle Mariners

1997: Tino Martinez, New York Yankees

1996: Barry Bonds, San Francisco Giants

1995: Frank Thomas, Chicago White Sox

1994: Ken Griffey Jr., Seattle Mariners

1993: Juan Gonzalez, Texas Rangers

1992: Mark McGuire, Oakland Athletics

1991: Cal Ripken, Baltimore Orioles

1990: Ryne Sandberg, Chicago Cubs

1989: Ruben Sierra, Texas Rangers

1988: Canceled because of rain

1987: Andre Dawson, Chicago Cubs

1986: Darryl Strawberry, New York Mets; Wally Joyner, California Angels (tie)

1985: Dave Parker, Cincinnati Reds