Mets' Pete Alonso eliminated in first round of Home Run Derby

ARLINGTON, Texas — Many of the top sluggers in the game have made the Home Run Derby a one-and-done affair in recent years.

Such as the Yankees’ Aaron Judge, who won the event in 2017 at Marlins Park and has never participated again (and who has said he won’t until the next All-Star Game in New York, whenever that may be).

Or maybe two-and-done, such as Juan Soto, who has won it once in two tries, at Dodger Stadium in 2022.

Mets first baseman Pete Alonso, a two-time winner (in 2019 and 2021) and a five-time participant, doesn’t sound as if he’ll stop at five. After failing to get out of the first round of the 2024 edition at Globe Life Field — hitting only 12 home runs in his allotted three minutes, plus four bonus “outs” — he all but guaranteed he’ll compete again.

“Yeah,” he said. “There’s definitely more in there, for sure.”

Alonso, a free agent at season’s end, spoke earlier in the afternoon about his lifelong affection for the event.

“This is just a one-night, super-unique format,” he said. “I’m just really excited because it’s something I’ve looked forward to doing and dreamt about since I was a kid.”

The format repeatedly has been tweaked since the modern iteration of the event, which dates to 1985.

Rather than the seeding/ bracket system used in recent years, this year’s change had all eight participants getting three minutes (or up to 40 pitched balls) to hit as many homers as possible. Each hitter then got three outs — four if a homer went at least 440 feet — to add to their total.

Those with the top four totals advanced to a single-elimination bracket, with the player having the highest total from the first round facing the player with the lowest and those with the second- and third-highest totals squaring off in the other semifinal.

Teoscar Hernandez defeated Bobby Witt Jr. in the final, 14-13. Witt beat Jose Ramirez, 17-12, and Hernandez topped Alec Bohm, 16-15, in the semifinals. Alonso, Adolis Garcia, Marcell Ozuna and Gunnar Henderson were eliminated in the first round.

“Whatever the format changes, whatever the stipulations are, it’s totally fine,” Alonso said. “I’m ready to compete . . . I’m just ready to go out there and hit some homers.”

There was a charity component for Alonso as well.

“This year, super-excited because whatever winnings I get, I’m going to be donating to fixing up kids’ fields,’’ he said, “and New Era is helping us out with the Alonso Foundation.”

Little buzz accompanied this year’s event compared with past years. Think of the hype if, say, Judge, Soto, Shohei Ohtani, Bryce Harper and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. were participating.

Judge and Ohtani alone would move the needle, and not just for fans.

“I’ve done the Derby once and I know how taxing it is, so I understand guys not doing it,” Dodgers All-Star Freddie Freeman said. “But yeah, I think baseball fans, and us as players, we want to see [Judge].’’

The Phillies’ Bohm, among those competing Monday, said the baseball fan in him would like to see Judge in the batter’s box.

“There would be some dents around here where there’s not any dents, I know that,” he said with a laugh. “It would be cool to see. But that’s all up to him.”

Though he never used it as an excuse, Judge aggravated a shoulder issue during his 2017 Derby win and slumped for about six weeks thereafter, likely costing him the AL MVP that went to the Astros’ Jose Altuve.

Earlier this month, Soto said he thought briefly, but only briefly, about competing.

“I’ve participated twice in my career already. That’s a good amount,” he said. “For me, that’s it. I won it, I have my trophy, and I’m fine with that.”

Alonso views it far differently.

“So fun. It’s always a blast to get out there and do it,” he said. “Yeah, obviously, in it to win it, but it’s always really fun out there. It’s such a blessing to be out here and perform.”