Pete Alonso's Home Run Derby first-round opponent is Ronald Acuna Jr. Pete Alonso has hit more home runs than anyone else in baseball. No one has come close. By 19 Alonso's 130 homers are 19 more than the second most-prolific home run hitter. Alonso has more homers than every other player except Mike Trout. Alonso said it's the most addictive feeling. I'm not able to get enough of it. I'm not sure if anyone else loves hitting homers more than I do. The Home Run Derby is where Major League Baseball's greatest home run hitters show off their skills. As well-rounded a hitter as Alonso has become, his.268/.344/.528 line in a depressed offensive environment this season is a testament to that. There is an hour and a half later. Alonso has won the last two derbies and is poised to become the first driver to win three in a row. Three Home Run Derby titles have been taken by Ken Griffey Jr. Alonso has plenty of time to match Junior's total, but he would rather win threepeats. Strategy will be taken along with skill to do so. Alonso talked about how he approaches the derby and what it takes to win, whether you're a seasoned big leaguer or a first timer. Pete Alonso's 10 Rules to Win a Home Run Derby is only a few hours away. The first rule is toHydrate like crazy. Alonso said that winning a home run derby begins days before the event. He needs to eat well and get a bit more sleep. He drinks water like he is going through a personal dry spell. The All-Star Game in Los Angeles is just around the corner. Is your favorite star headed to Hollywood? Full coverage »
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The eight participants in the Derby are placed in a seeding. Each competitor takes a 45 second timeout. He will get 30 seconds of bonus time if at least one home run travels at least 450 feet.
Alonso thinks that the Derby is more of an endurance competition than a power show. It isn't just the day before. I have a few days before. I try to be the most hydrated person I can be because it gets to be a lot in the summer. If you're not hydrated, you will feel fatigued. I want to be able for my body to bounce back and be able to sustain a high energy output.
The second rule is to get moral support.
If you want to enter a home run derby, you need the support of your friends. Mark McGwire, who won the 1992 Derby, is one of Pete Alonso's friends.
To be able to reach out to both of them is amazing. Mark is excited that I'm going to participate in the Derby. I have a relationship with my childhood idols.
The opponent isn't important.
The second seed in this year's Derby is Alonso. Kyle Schwarber leads the field followed by Alonso, Ronald Acuna Jr., and Albert Pujols
It would be easy for Alonso to fear Acuna since he has eight home runs this season. The kind of combination that plays well in this event is Acuna's power stroke and his age. Pete Alonso is Pete Alonso, and everyone else is not, and that sort of self-assuredness goes a long way.
"It doesn't matter who I'm facing because I'm just out there and focusing on my job at hand and I just need to hit one more than that," he said. I do not pay attention to who is doing it. I want to hit someone more than anyone else.
Rule number four is to find the right pitcher
Alonso acknowledged that not everyone can get the best batting-practice pitcher in the world. Last year, Dave Jauss, the former Mets bench coach and current pitcher in Home Run Derby X, became a temporary celebrity when he grooved pitch after pitch into Alonso's nitro zone.
Alonso said that he knew where it was just right. The bread basket is right over the middle of the plate. The pitcher has to throw them. The pitcher has a responsibility to throw the ball over the dish, just like the hitter has a responsibility to hit it. It can be hard when you have a lot of people watching you and breathing down your neck.
Know your zone, that's the fifth rule.
It's important for the pitcher to find the hitter's sweet spot and for the participant to not swing at substandard pitches. A pitcher needs to wait until a flyball lands to throw. The high flies that fall short are killers.
Alonso is looking for a pitch in his area. I'm trying to locate the ball in the area. That's where I'm going to go. I'm trying to see the ball in my area. If I like what I see, you should see my legs rotating back and forth through the baseball.
You must stick to your swing.
Alonso made the point irrelevant by trying to duplicate his in-game swing in the exhibition.
Alonso tries to take game-like swings when he takes batting practice. I would like to be quick and concise to the baseball, but also add that similar effort level. I would like to practice in a similar way.
Every baseball player has a different swing. There are a lot of similarities between baseball and other sports. Nobody is the same. People can be alike. It's almost like a baseball player's thumbprint when it comes to the swing.
Use your timeouts wisely.
A timeout can save a player's chances of winning the $1 million first place Derby prize. He's off to a bad start and wants to change his juju, he needs to calculate the pace he needs to hit to surpass an opponent or he's tired.
Alonso said that it sounds like a simple answer, but that he needs to take a break. I need to take a break. Last year, I went past the halfway mark because we were in a good place. It's like, let's take a time out here, catch our breath and then cross the finish line when the grooves are over. Timing the breaks correctly is very important.
Don't let your emotions get in the way of your work.
Alonso is challenged by trying to calibrate all of the feelings. He does not have a way to calm the nerves. He embraces all of them and compares himself to a soft drink.
Alonso said there was excitement. There's question. Antiness is present. It's reserved. It's like a full bottle of emotions. By the time you shake it up and let the top off, you've released your emotions. It comes out when I'm in my happy place.
Hit tanks is the ninth rule.
Home runs are not for the meek. It takes a certain amount of confidence to hit a ball over the fence. Come on, but please. The fence is not a real measurement of distance. The truly legendary performances come from the guys who hit the ball furthest.
This ethos is embraced by Alonso. Alonso's longest home run in the Derby was 509 feet, and he hit it in the finals against Baltimore. On the verge of victory, he destroyed a ball that was over 500 feet in the air.
There is an appetizing opportunity for Alonso at the stadium. There have been six times in history when a batter hit a ball over the field and out of the stadium. Alonso believes that the league uses extra-springy balls for the Derby.
Alonso said that people tell him that he would be able to put a Derby ball in the parking lot. That would be fun. Hit one that's outside the stadium.
Have a good time.
Maybe this one is clear. The Home Run Derby is an inherently fun event, and even though there are conflicting emotions, out-of-your-control variables, and the perils of hydration, it should be a good time. The long ones are a good place to start. You should be thankful for the fence scrapers. The bad swings are fun to laugh at. Enjoy it.
Alonso said he's there to win. I'm doing it to win, and it would be great, but I'm going to be having a great time. I'll be able to help some people. It's going to be a lot of fun.
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