Toronto Blue Jays first baseman and designated hitter Vladimir Guerrero Jr. outfitted Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Randy Arozarena, 25-23, in the final round of the 2023 MLB Home Run Derby to win the annual home run hitting competition, held at the T-Mobile Park in Seattle on Monday night.
The 24-year-old Canadian-Dominican initially overcame Los Angeles Dodgers' Mookie Betts and the Seattle Mariners' Julio Rodriguez in the quarterfinals and semifinals of the pre-MLB All-Star Game event to get to the final round.
Guerrero Jr. will take home $1 million as a prize for winning the event and a 3-lb. Seattle-inspired Home Run Derby gold chain. He was named an All-Star for the third consecutive year and will play tomorrow's exhibition game for the American League.
The Home Run Derby winner made his MLB debut for the Blue Jays in April 2019 and has since been named in the All-MLB First Team in 2021.
He also won the Silver Slugger Award in the same year and the Gold Glove Award in 2022.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. follows in father's footsteps
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and his Hall of Famer father, Vladimir Guerrero, are the first father-son duo to win the MLB Home Run Derby.
Guerrero Sr. was immensely proud of his son for his remarkable achievement.
The elder Guerrero won the competition in 2007 while playing for the Los Angeles Angels. That year's event was held at AT&T Park in San Francisco, and Guerrero Jr. was in attendance when his father claimed the trophy.
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