It does not matter one bit who his opponent is, Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernandez always believes and bets on himself.
Coming into the 2024 T-Mobile Home Run Derby, Hernandez was in his customary underdog role that he excels in, and was not the favorite to win. But he proved all the naysayers wrong, and, to put the cherry on top of the sundae, he was able to cement his name in the history books.
In being anointed the Derby champion at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas on Monday night, Hernandez became the first player in the legendary Dodgers’ franchise, that includes some of the best players to ever play the game, to accomplish the feat. It was his first career appearance in the contest, and just being a part of the festivities and getting there was the crowning achievement of a lifelong dream, but he was determined to do more than just participating.
“People maybe underestimate [me]. You can see it at the end when [Bobby Witt Jr.] was hitting all those homers,” Hernandez said after the competition. “Everybody was [rooting] for him. But I’m here, [and I’m] as talented as all those guys over there.”
The journey to Hernandez’s victory was nothing short of mind-blowing, as he continued to squeak by his competitors by one long ball the entire night, including against Witt of the Kansas City Royals, his finals opponent.
To kick off the event in the first round, Witt secured the No. 3 seed with 20 homers, while Hernandez knocked 19 out of the park. In the semifinal, Hernandez and Philadelphia Phillies’ Alec Bohm were knotted at 14 to invoke a tie-breaking swing-off. Hernandez went 2-for-3, while Bohm hit just one. That gave Hernandez 16 total for Round 2, while Witt hit 17 to eliminate Jose Ramírez.
You could not set this up any better. The stage was set for a barn burner in the final.
Coming up to bat first, Hernandez set the tone by launching 14 shots, 11 in regular time, three in bonus, with eight projected to fly farther than 425 feet, according to Statcast.
You could cut the tension with a knife, as Witt also hit 11 in regular time, and even more so when he came within a single homer from tying the score in bonus time. But his last attempt just missed by an eyelash, the ball hitting off the left-center-field wall, to give Hernandez the W.
In addition to making Dodgers history, Hernandez became the seventh Dominican-born player to win the Derby, and the second in three years, joining Juan Soto (2022). Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Hernandez’s former Blue Jays teammate who last year became part of the first father-son Derby-winning duo.
Dodgers third-base coach Dino Ebel, Hernandez’s pitcher for the Derby, was right beside him, giving him support throughout the nail-biting moments of the evening. However, Ebel was not consumed with Witt’s count. Instead, he was watching his player’s family and friends.
“I kind of sat back behind the chair and watched him, and he was excited. You could see it,” Ebel said. “When he stood up and when that ball went up in the air, I looked at him. He thought that ball was going to go out. What a moment when he stood up and raised his hands. I kind of looked up to his family and they were jumping up in joy. That’s the thrill I get out of it.”
Ebel was not the only one in Hernandez’s corner cheering him on. When Hernandez signaled for his initial strategic timeout at the 1:30 mark of Round 1, his Dodgers teammates came out to give him a towel and some water to recharge his batteries. But there was also movement from the American League side.
Wearing a No. 37 Blue Jays Hernandez jersey that he keeps framed on a wall in a “special room,” Guerrero Jr., Toronto’s star first baseman, walked over to his former teammate and friend, along with Yankees outfielder Soto. Soto, Guerrero and Shohei Ohtani offered Hernandez some pointers to improve his swing mechanics.
“[Ohtani] said to hit the ball to left-center, to not pull it, because I had a better chance, because of the way my swing was, to go over there,” Hernández recalled. “It’s far, but he said, ‘It’s better for you.”
The advice paid off in a big way, and Hernandez’s bat caught fire.
He ended up with a total of 19 homers in the first round, surpassing the Texas Rangers’ Adolis García (18), the Atlanta Braves’ Marcell Ozuna (16), two-time Derby winner Pete Alonso of the New York Mets (12) and the Baltimore Orioles’ Gunnar Henderson (11).
During his timeout and before his bonus time in Round 2, Hernandez received even more confirmation from Guerrero. And just after Hernandez was declared the winner, Guerrero approached his friend once more, this time around, to pass on the winner’s chain.
“From a Derby champ to a Derby champ,” Guerrero said. “I’m feeling very, very proud of Teo. He’s a great friend of mine. He’s my brother. My ex-teammate. What can I say about Teo? I’m so proud of him right now.”
