If the Home Run Derby were decided by quality, Luis Robert Jr. would've won it going away.
But Major League Baseball takes the easy way out and makes it a simple matter of quantity, so Robert had to settle for a second-round loss to fellow countryman Randy Arozarena. Arozarena then ended up losing to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the finals.
Robert dispatched Adley Rutschman in the first round 28-27 despite an impressive showing by the Baltimore catcher, who turned around to the right side in bonus time and hit six homers in 30 seconds. Robert killed the buzz in about five minutes, tying Rutschman before reaching his bonus time, then hitting the game-winner after about a dozen seconds. Indiana Jones shooting the swordsman came to mind.
Arozarena applied more pressure during the second round with 35 homers, and once Robert fell behind the pace, he couldn't quite figure out the sweet spot with his launch angle.
Robert ended up finishing with the fourth-highest home run total in the contest ...
- Randy Arozarena, 82
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 72
- Julio Rodríguez, 61
- Luis Robert Jr., 50
- Adley Rutschman, 27
- Pete Alonso, 21
- Adolis García, 17
- Mookie Betts, 11
... but he made an impressive showing in terms of Statcast data.
Robert and the eventual champion Guerrero went toe-to-toe in terms of exit velocity, as Pete Alonso was the only other contestant who could sneak in an entry among the 20 hardest-hit balls.
In terms of home run length, Robert had no peers, with six of the seven longest homers:
- Robert, 484 feet
- Robert, 470 feet
- Robert, 467 feet
- Robert, 461 feet
- Arozarena, 461 feet
- Robert, 461 feet
- Robert, 458 feet
Unfortunately, with time limits dictating the Home Run Derby instead of swings, distance can't be appreciated on the same level. Most of the BP pitchers have realized their job is to deliver the greatest amount of hittable pitches, and bullpen catcher Luis Sierra already delivered the next pitch before Robert's homer landed.
Still, I enjoyed watching Robert go to work, because if you think the Home Run Derby and All-Star Game are meaningless, wait until you watch the White Sox in the second half of this season. Robert made the All-Star team, his contract is a settled matter through 2027, and Shohei Ohtani is a virtual lock to win MVP no matter what anybody else does. This might be as good as it gets for White Sox fans in 2023. Don't worry about the faintness of the praise, because the White Sox are already damned.
