This is each club's best HR Derby showing

The 2024 T-Mobile Home Run Derby had something new in store.

The finals of the event at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, featured two contestants aiming to bring home the first Derby win for their franchises. Just the fifth Royal to participate in the Derby, Kansas City shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. squared off with Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernández in the championship showdown.

The 11th Dodgers hitter to participate in the Derby, Hernández became the first to win it. He reached the finals in a swing-off and then outlasted Witt by a single home run (14-13) to win the 2024 Derby crown. Hernández slugged 49 homers on the night as he etched his name into the history books.

With the 2024 event wrapped up, here is a look at every team's best Derby performance.

AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST

Blue Jays: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 2023
Result: Winner (72 total HR)
In Guerrero's first Derby in 2019, he set new records for the most home runs in a single round (40 in the 2nd) and in a single Derby (91) -- and still lost. So it's really only fitting that in 2023, he made a hard-luck loser out of division rival Randy Arozarena of the Rays, who led the pack with 82 total home runs. Guerrero outlasted Arozarena in a nerve-wracking 25-23 final round in Seattle, becoming the first Home Run Derby champ in Blue Jays history.
Other winners: None

Orioles: Miguel Tejada, 2004
Result: Won (27 total HR)
The Orioles have had quite a few Derby participants since Tejada, and even one whose home run total was higher (Mark Trumbo had 30 in 2016). But no one has outdone Tejada, who faced off against the likes of Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa and left with a trophy. His win in the final round even came against Lance Berkman at Minute Maid Park in Houston, his own stomping grounds. You could say the odds were stacked against the former MVP, but he still came out the victor.
Other winners: Cal Ripken Jr. (1991)

Rays: Randy Arozarena, 2023
Result: Runner-up (82 total HR)
Though Arozarena put on a show and hit more home runs than any other participant, he appeared to run out of gas after his epic 35-HR display in the second round and couldn't quite keep up with Guerrero in the finals. Regardless of the result, his performance won't soon be forgotten -- he was just the third Derby participant in Rays franchise history, and 82 total home runs stand as the second-most in a single Derby.
Winners: None

Red Sox: David Ortiz, 2010
Result: Won (32 total HR)
It seems impossible that David Ortiz only won one Home Run Derby, and probably seems even less likely if you’re a fan of an AL East team outside of Boston. But it’s true -- he only took home the trophy in 2010, despite appearing in five Derbies in his career. Ortiz put on a show at Angel Stadium that year, hitting eight homers in the first round, 13 in the semifinals, and blowing out Hanley Ramirez in the final round, 11-5. Ortiz had a lackluster 2009 season, and started off 2010 just as slow -- so the Home Run Derby that year was a chance for him to show a national audience that he wasn’t done yet. Far from it, considering he entered the 2010 Derby with 335 career homers and retired in 2016 with 541.
Other winners: None

Yankees: Aaron Judge, 2017
Result: Won (47 total HR)
Whoever entered the 2017 Home Run Derby would be facing reigning champ Giancarlo Stanton on his home turf, and it seemed perfect for Judge to be one of those challengers. The 6-foot-6 Stanton had never really had a physical match in the Majors until Judge’s debut. Unfortunately, a face-off between the two wasn’t in the cards -- Stanton was knocked out in the first round by Judge’s teammate Gary Sánchez -- but he did get a piece of fellow 2017 Rookie of the Year Cody Bellinger in the second round before defeating Miguel Sanó in the finals, 11-10. Judge became the first rookie to ever win the Home Run Derby outright (Wally Joyner was a co-champ in his rookie year), and put to bed any concerns about a Derby hangover by setting the rookie home run record at 52 a few months later.
Other winners: Tino Martinez (1997), Jason Giambi (2002), Robinson Canó (2011)

AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL

Guardians: Jim Thome, 1998
Result: Runner-up (17 total HR)
Thome is just one of a few dozen players to be eliminated by Ken Griffey Jr. (who’s going to be coming up a lot from here on out). Their final round against each other came down to a score of 3 home runs to 2, which feels downright modest, considering that the 1998 Derby was held at Coors Field. Albert Belle is right behind Thome on the list for Cleveland with his 16 total home runs in 1995, when he was the runner-up to Frank Thomas.
Winners: None

Royals: Bobby Witt Jr., 2024
Result: Runner-up (50 total HR)
The Royals don’t have much in the way of Home Run Derby history -- Witt was only the fifth player to represent the franchise in 2024, when he came one home run (and just a few inches) short of forcing a swing-off against the Dodgers' Teoscar Hernández.
Winners: None

Tigers: Prince Fielder, 2012
Result: Won (28 total HR)
Fielder was a Derby mainstay in the late 2000s and early 2010s. He went to six of them in his career, tied for third all-time with Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa. And he won twice, at the time becoming only the second player in history to ever win multiple Derbies. The second came in 2012 when Fielder represented the Tigers (his first win in 2009 had been with Milwaukee). Unsurprisingly, Fielder had the three longest home runs of the night (at 476, 464, and 461 feet) and his final round saw him hit seven home runs before recording his second out.
Other winners: None

Twins: Justin Morneau, 2008
Result: Won (22 total HR)
Before Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s high homer total in a losing effort, there was Josh Hamilton, and before Pete Alonso, who won despite Guerrero’s efforts, there was Morneau, who did the same against Hamilton after his then-unprecedented 28-homer first round at the old Yankee Stadium. It was actually Morneau who took the crown after a 5-3 final round in 2008, despite hitting 22 total home runs to Hamilton’s 35.
Other winners: None

White Sox: Frank Thomas, 1995
Result: Won (15 total HR)
1995 was the year the Home Run Derby switched to the multi-round format we know today, and was therefore the first year a player could lead his competition in total home runs and still lose. That was exactly what we got. Thomas’ 15 home runs were the most ever by a Derby winner at the time, but runner-up Belle actually broke the record for all competitors by hitting 16. Despite that, Thomas outhit Belle in the final round, 3-2, and the trophy was his.

15 stands as the second-highest total for a White Sox representative in a single Derby. The White Sox player with the most home runs in a single event is Todd Frazier, who hit 42 in 2016, when he was the runner-up to Giancarlo Stanton.
Other winners: None

AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST

Angels: Garret Anderson, 2003
Result: Won (22 total HR)
The 2003 Home Run Derby came down to Anderson, a reigning World Series champion, and a very young future Angel, Albert Pujols, a close 8-7 battle won by Anderson. Anderson had the biggest Derby in Angels history by home run total, but you could probably also make a good argument for Vladimir Guerrero Sr. -- who hit 17 home runs in 2007, but perhaps more importantly, is so far the only Derby participant whose son has followed in his footsteps.
Other winners: Wally Joyner (tied, 1986), Vladimir Guerrero Sr. (2007)

Astros: Lance Berkman, 2004
Result: Runner-up (21 total HR)
The Astros hosted the 2004 Home Run Derby and almost had one of their own take home the trophy. And by almost, we really mean almost -- he dropped the final round to Miguel Tejada by a score of 5-4. Berkman was the second runner-up in Astros history (they’ve yet to have a winner) after Glenn Davis way back in 1989.
Winners: None

Athletics: Yoenis Céspedes (2013)
Result: Won (32 total HR)
Fun fact: Céspedes is the only person not named Griffey or Fielder to ever hoist a second Home Run Derby trophy. He was also the first non-All-Star to win the Derby in 2013, edging out a 20-year-old Bryce Harper, who was attempting to become the youngest champion in the history of the event. Unfortunately for Harper, Céspedes brought a whole lot of experience with him -- as he noted afterwards, he'd already participated in five home run derbies in his native Cuba before defecting in 2011.
Other winners: Mark McGwire (1992), Céspedes (2014)

Mariners: Ken Griffey Jr., 1998
Result: Won (19 total HR)
Let’s be honest, Griffey is kind of the king of the Home Run Derby. He’s participated in eight and won three. No one else can say that, although Alonso is now in pursuit. The 1998 event had his highest home run total, but Griffey also won in 1994 and 1999, and his 70 career Derby home runs, while just the eighth most today, were well beyond any participant of his era.
Other winners: Griffey (1994, 1999)

Rangers: Juan González, 1993
Result: Won (7 total HR)
González had a long road to becoming a Home Run Derby champ. He ended the event tied with a 23-year-old Ken Griffey Jr., and it took two extra rounds to win the day, the second of which he won, 1-0. Low as his final home run total seems today, at the time it was tied for the second-most in the event’s short history. González was the second Derby champ for the Rangers, after Ruben Sierra four years earlier. The Rangers’ two runners-up -- Josh Hamilton in 2008 and Nelson Cruz in 2009 -- were more prolific, hitting 35 and 21 home runs respectively.
Other winners: Ruben Sierra (1989)

NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST

Braves: Fred McGriff, 1994
Result: Runner-up (5 total HR)
McGriff lost to Ken Griffey Jr. in 1994. Which is fair enough -- he’s hardly the only one. But he did out-homer Frank Thomas, Jeff Bagwell and Albert Belle (and three others), and that was impressive enough. Honorable mention goes to Ronald Acu?a Jr., whose 44 home runs in 2019 give him the most in Braves Derby history (by 32), but who was knocked out in the second round by eventual champion Pete Alonso.
Winners: None

Marlins: Giancarlo Stanton, 2016
Result: Won (61 total HR)
While Guerrero Jr.’s 91 home runs in 2019 still stands as the record for the most in a single Derby, until Pete Alonso's display in 2021 (more on him in a minute), the record for the most total home runs by a winner was still the 61 hit by Stanton in 2016. Statcast data was available for the 2016 Home Run Derby, so the following probably won't shock you -- Stanton had the 20 hardest-hit and 10 longest home runs of the night, and averaged a distance of 446 feet and a 111.9 mph exit velocity (Carlos González ranked second in both categories with 430 feet and 107.4 mph averages). Winning was really just the icing on the cake after all that.
Other winners: None

Mets: Pete Alonso, 2021
Result: Won (74 total HR)
Alonso rolled up to the 2021 Derby the defending champion, but he was far from the favorite. Shohei Ohtani, the MLB home run leader at the break, was heavily favored. But after Alonso shattered the record for first-round homers (he hit 35 of them), it was clear whose show it was. You'd need a stronger phrase than "locked in" to describe Alonso at Coors. He became only the third player (after Ken Griffey Jr. and Yoenis Céspedes) to win consecutive Home Run Derbies, and for the second straight event he walked it off by a score of 23-22 -- this time over the Orioles' Trey Mancini. Alonso also powered past Giancarlo Stanton's previous record for most home runs by a Derby winner (74 to Stanton's 61). Homers and trophies aside, no one had more fun than Alonso, and that was worth the price of admission alone.
Other winners: Darryl Strawberry (tied, 1986), Alonso (2019)

Nationals: Juan Soto, 2022
Result: Won (53 total HR)
In his second attempt at a Derby championship, Soto had his work cut out for him. After taking down José Ramírez in the first round, he faced off against future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols -- a fellow Dominican-born superstar who has served as a mentor to the 23-year-old. Finally, he came up against the Mariners' Julio Rodríguez, who had owned the night through two rounds, even succeeding in eliminating returning champ Pete Alonso. Despite starting off slow in the final round, Soto settled into a groove and crushed 19 homers to Rodríguez's 18, joining Bryce Harper as the only players in Nationals/Expos franchise history to win the Home Run Derby. While Soto didn't lead the pack in terms of total home runs -- that honor went to Rodríguez -- he did hit the longest home run of the night, a 482-footer.
Other winners: Harper (2018)

Phillies: Bobby Abreu, 2005
Result: Won (41 total HR)
The 2005 Derby was a unique one. In honor of the upcoming World Baseball Classic, the pool was made up of eight players from different countries. Abreu, representing his native Venezuela, smashed 41 home runs. That may sound relatively run-of-the-mill now, but it was unheard of at the time. The record had stood at 26 since 2000. Abreu’s 41 would stand until 2016, when both finalists -- Giancarlo Stanton and Todd Frazier -- finally eclipsed him.
Other winners: Ryan Howard (2006)

NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL

Brewers: Prince Fielder, 2009
Result: Won (23 total HR)
In addition to his six Derby appearances, Fielder is the only player to appear on this list twice, which is definitely also an achievement. Fielder is Milwaukee’s only Derby champion as well as Detroit’s -- as a matter of fact, he’s the only player in the history of the event to win it for two different teams. The 2009 All-Star festivities were held at Busch Stadium, so Fielder got the chance to spoil St. Louis’ dreams of having Albert Pujols win his first Derby on his home turf. After hitting 11 home runs in the first round and six in the semifinals, Fielder hit another six in the final round to seal the deal. Another fun fact about Fielder’s opponents? That final round matchup came against Nelson Cruz in his first All-Star Game appearance.
Other winners: None

Cardinals: Albert Pujols, 2003
Result: Runner-up (26 total HR)
While Pujols has been to four Derbies in his career, he’s somehow only made it into the final round once. In 2003, at 23, he made his first appearance and put together what would stand as the best Derby performance of his career (so far), but up against Anderson in the finals, Pujols would ultimately lose by a score of 9-8. That said, he still ended the night with the highest home run total, ahead of Garret Anderson (22) and Jason Giambi (23).
Winners: None

Cubs: Sammy Sosa, 2000
Result: Won (26 total HR)
While Kyle Schwarber’s 55 home runs in the 2018 Derby are by far the most for any Cub, Sosa’s performance remains the best in terms of result. He out-homered his opponents in every round, with five in the first, 11 in the semifinal, and a 9-2 win over defending champ Ken Griffey Jr. in the final. While measuring home run distance was less exact in the early 2000s, Sammy Sosa’s last five home runs of the night averaged approximately 475 feet, with his final shot of the night estimated at a whopping 508.
Other winners: Andre Dawson (1987), Ryne Sandberg (1990)

Pirates: Josh Bell, 2019
Result: Eliminated in first round (18 total HR)
The Pirates don’t have an illustrious Home Run Derby history -- technically, Bobby Bonilla was their highest finisher in 1990, when he placed fourth by virtue of being one of five players not to hit a single home run. Bell hit 12 more home runs in his first round than Pedro Alvarez in 2013, cementing his place at the top of Pittsburgh’s list.
Winners: None

Reds: Todd Frazier, 2015
Result: Won (39 total HR)
There’s just something about Frazier and the Home Run Derby. After bursting onto the scene in 2012, Frazier went to three straight Derbies from 2014 to ‘16 and made it to the finals every time. Only two other players can say that -- Sammy Sosa (2000-’02) and Ken Griffey Jr. (1992-’94). Frazier’s sole win in 2015 came at Great American Ball Park in what would be his last season with the Reds. Aside from Frazier, the Reds also hold the distinction of having had the first Home Run Derby champion ever (Dave Parker in 1985).
Other winners: Parker (1985), Eric Davis (tied, 1989)

NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST

D-backs: Luis Gonzalez, 2001
Result: Won (16 total HR)
2001 was very much Gonzalez’s year. But before he won the World Series for the D-backs in November or finished third in the NL MVP race, he won the Home Run Derby, defeating Sammy Sosa by a score of 6-2 in the final round. Gonzalez was the first Derby participant ever to represent the D-backs, who were playing just their fourth season in 2001, and they’ve only had one since (Chris Young, who hit one home run in 2010).
Other winners: None

Dodgers: Teoscar Hernández, 2024
Result: Won (49 total HR)
In his first-ever Home Run Derby, Hernández captured a hard-fought victory to bring the Dodgers their first Derby title. The slugging outfielder, in his first season with L.A, knocked off the Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. 14-13 in a tense final round. Hernández reached the title matchup after another close contest, beating Alec Bohm of the Phillies 16-15 in a semifinal swing-off. Hernández had the hardest-hit homers of the 2024 Derby (two at 111 mph) and beat all other competitors in terms of average distance on his homers, too.
Other winners: None

Giants: Barry Bonds, 1996
Result: Won (17 total HR)
The all-time home run leader was going to have a part in this. The original two-inning, five-outs-per-inning Home Run Derby format didn’t give the participants much time to hit double digits (hence why the format changed in later years), but 17 was a Derby record when he did it in 1996, and naturally, Bonds is the Giants’ only winner to date.
Other winners: None

Padres: Wil Myers (2016)
Result: Eliminated in first round (10 total HR)
The Padres have only had five Derby participants in their history, but there are some big names on that list. Fred McGriff, Steve Garvey, Gary Sheffield and Adrian González all represented San Diego in their time, but none of them had much luck. Unfortunately, neither did Myers in 2016, when the All-Star festivities were at Petco Park. His 10 first-round homers were topped by Adam Duvall’s 11, but if it’s any consolation, as of 2021, Myers has hit more home runs at Petco Park than anyone else.
Winners: None

Rockies: Larry Walker, 1997
Result: Runner-up (19 total HR)
The Rockies have never had a Derby champion, but Walker came awfully close in 1997, even outhitting eventual winner Tino Martinez by total homers, 17-16.

The Rockies also had a representative in the last Coors Derby in 1998 (Vinny Casilla), who was knocked out in the first round.
Winners: None