No. 3: Giancarlo Stanton’s record-smashing Home Run Derby
Leading up to the Tuesday MLB All-Star Game in Miami, we’re counting down the 10 most memorable All-Star moments in Marlins history.
Year: 2016 at Petco Park, San Diego
Notable: Stanton wasn’t selected for the All-Star Game but instead made his mark the night before with a record-breaking performance in the Home Run Derby, hitting 61 homers over three rounds.
How it happened: This was the ideal showcase of Stanton’s rare brute power. Some of the top sluggers in the game were no match for him, including defending champion Todd Frazier, whom he easily dispatched in the finals, 20-13. MLB’s Statcast technology has made it easier to measure the force and distance of batted balls, and Stanton has been the poster boy for the system since it was introduced in major league parks in 2015. The numbers he put up in the Derby were staggering: 39 of his homers traveled more than 440 feet, 11 of those in the final round. His longest were identical 497-foot monster shots in each of the first two rounds. “I came here just for this,” Stanton said after receiving the championship trophy. “I figure it’s a waste if I don’t bring this bad boy home.” In the head-to-head elimination format, Stanton set the tone with 20 homers in the opening round, overwhelming 2011 Derby champ Robison Cano, then outslugging Mark Trumbo, who was the major leagues’ home run leader in the first half of 2016, 17-14. There never was any doubt the night belonged to Stanton, who hit the 10 longest homers and 18 of the 19 longest. He cleared the fences on five consecutive swings in each round. The total distance of Stanton’s homers stretched 27,190 feet, or 5.1 miles. Stanton is looking forward to defending his title Monday at Marlins Park in a highly anticipating showdown with New York Yankees rookie sensation Aaron Judge, who at 6 feet 7, 282 pounds is bigger than his fellow southern California native. Judge is the Statcast leader this season in home run distance and velocity off the bat.