In a test of strength usually measured in feet, the 2024 edition of the Home Run Derby came down to a game of inches.
It had the makings of a one-run game in the bottom of the ninth with two outs and the bases loaded. All Bobby Witt Jr. needed was one more home run to tie Teoscar Hernandez’s 14 in the final round.
But it was a bridge too far for the Royals star, a fence too tall.
Instead, a face all too familiar to Blue Jays fans donned the derby crown as Hernandez became the first-ever Los Angeles Dodger to win the annual exhibition of power.
The Blue Jays have been caught in the midst of a more than forgettable season, coasting away at the bottom of the AL East and well below .500. Usually, the mid-summer classic is a great break away from the game if your favourite team is in this state. Instead, Blue Jays fans were reminded of what used to be — of Hernandez’s award-winning hitting ability and of his friendship with Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Here are some of the best reactions from Blue Jays fans and the rest of the baseball world after Hernandez’s Home Run Derby win.