After a nail-biting finish to the final that left Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. mere inches from tying Teoscar Hernandez's home run total, Hernandez emerged victorious, becoming the first Los Angeles Dodgers player to win the MLB Home Run Derby Monday night at Globe Life Field.
The moment that Hernandez, who belted 14 home runs in the final round, realized he had won the Derby was a special one, as he shared a sweet embrace with his wife Jennifer, then had a cool moment with former teammate, Valdimir Guerrero Jr.
Check out the moment, which was shared by the Dodgers' account on X, formerly Twitter.
Teoscar Hernández, the first Dodger to ever win the Home Run Derby! pic.twitter.com/f98vvydJ2c
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 16, 2024
It was Guerrero, the 2023 Derby champion who was donning Hernandez's old Toronto Blue Jays jersey on Monday night, who placed the Derby championship chain over the Dodgers slugger's neck.
After his victory, Hernandez explained how Guerrero's presence and advice helped him during the Derby.
Teoscar Hernández speaks on Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s impact on his #HRDerby performance. 🤝 pic.twitter.com/U0R8TUjJws
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) July 16, 2024
"That was one of the biggest surprises tonight what he did," Hernandez said. "Yesterday when we got to the hotel, he said 'I got a surprise for you compadre. I'm gonna show it tomorrow. ' "
"So he brings my jersey from Toronto. And when he goes to home plate, he was trying to calm down myself. He had passed through two times. It worked. What he said, it worked, it helped me going into the last round, the final."
It certainly did, as Hernandez put on a show, swatting 19 home runs in the first round and another 16 in the semifinal to defeat Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm, before belting 14 more in the final.
For Hernandez's wife, there was joy in his victory, but not before there was a brief moment of panic when Witt Jr's homer nearly traveled over the fence.
“I remember looking to the left and thinking, ‘Alright, I’m just going to pass out,’"Jennifer Hernández told USA Today. "I felt like my heart was going to come out of my mouth, I was so nervous."
And for Hernandez himself? The Derby victory confirmed what he already believed about himself.
"People maybe underestimate [me]. You can see it at the end when [Bobby Witt Jr.] was hitting all those homers,” Hernández said. “Everybody was [rooting] for him. But I'm here, [and I’m] as talented as all those guys over there.”
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Teoscar Hernandez Had Special Reaction to Winning 2024 Home Run Derby.
