If you tuned into the Home Run Derby on Monday night you were not disappointed.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was the talk of the town as the 20-year-old rookie opened the competition by setting a record with 29 home runs in the first round and then topped Joc Pederson, 40-39, in a triple tiebreaker the following round.
However, things didn’t go Vlad’s way in the final round, as he was edged by New York Mets rookie Pete Alonso, 23-22.
Alonso, who’s only getting paid $555,000 this season, won $1 million with his performance in the Home Run Derby, but he didn’t keep it all for himself. Leading up to the event, the 24-year-old announced that he would be donating 10% of his winnings towards charity, if he won, and now that it’s official he plans on splitting up the donation between the Wounded Warrior Project and Tunnel To Towers.
“We grew up in a military background, both of my grandpas,” Alonso told Mike Puma of the New York Post. “We have a real important [emphasis] on the people who care of human life and are selfless in that regard. They put themselves in the line of duty, whether that be overseas or here trying to protect us civilians in New York or around the country.
It’s been a rough year for the New York Mets and their fans, but Pete Alonso is one of the positives to come out of this season. In 89 games, the 24-year-old leads the team in home runs (30), RBI (68) and runs (57) and owns a .280 batting average and a .372 OBP in 325 at-bats.
(H/T New York Post)
