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Don’t expect Mookie Betts to participate in next year’s HR Derby. The star outfielder had a lackluster performance in his most recent showing, finishing dead last in the eight-man field.
Following that outing, he vowed never to compete in the contest again.
The Home Run Derby had a number of headlines, most notably, fans calling for the removal of kids in the outfield following a scary incident. A ball struck off the bat of Vlad Guerrero Jr. hit one of those children in the head as they attempted to make a grab. The boy was helped off the field and appeared to be okay.
As far as the competition goes, the finals provided fans with drama as Guerrero outlasted Tampa Bay’s Randy Arozarena, 25-23. It ended an exciting event that also saw a major performance from Julio Rodriguez.
One player not making noise, though, was Mookie Betts.
He finished with just 11 home runs in the derby, easily the least impressive performance in the field. The slugger was quickly eliminated in the first round.
That didn’t come as much of a surprise to those that heard his comments before the event.
“I think my chances are pretty low.”
He had a similar viewpoint after the fact, giving comical insight to into his future in the Home Run Derby.
“Third swing in, I knew this ain’t it. I got no chance.”
Mookie kept it real about his HR derby experience 🤣
Full episode here: https://t.co/a1RBcGNeW5 pic.twitter.com/YvXJzNsmGi
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 16, 2023
“I didn’t practice for it all,” Betts said of his HR Derby experience. “Ten minutes before the derby, I went into the cage and just tried to start hitting homers. Third swing in, I knew this ain’t it.”
He then continued on to say he’ll never participate in another derby, unless he’s pushed by his son later in his career.
“It was a great experience, but unless my son really, really, really, really, really wants me to later on in my career, I would never do it again.”
Have to love the honesty here from Betts, who’s already a fan favorite amongst MLB viewers. Despite the low total in the HR Derby, he remains one of the top home run threats in the sport.