Pete Alonso was 10 home runs down with a little more than half a minute remaining in the final round of Monday night’s Home Run Derby, but nothing about his demeanor signaled concern. The New York Mets slugger called a timeout, took a casual stroll, then bopped his head and mouthed some of the words to The Notorious B.I.G’s “Hypnotize” right before settling back into the batter’s box.
Over the next 36 seconds, Alonso amassed five more home runs, defeating Baltimore Orioles first baseman Trey Mancini to become the third back-to-back Home Run Derby champion in front of a frenzied, sold-out crowd at Coors Field.
Alonso recorded 74 home runs — totaling 6.35 miles in distance — in defeating Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez, Washington Nationals star Juan Soto and Mancini over the course of three rounds. He claimed a silver trophy, donned a bejeweled, spinning necklace and won $1 million.
“I think I’m the best power hitter on the planet,” Alonso declared afterward. “Being able to showcase that, and really putting on a fun display for fans, I just think it’s a dream come true for me because when I was young, my parents let me stay up past my bedtime to watch this.”
“To be able to participate — it’s a dream come true. To be able to do it back-to-back — this is really special for me. And really cool.”
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