" 𝔹𝕖𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕦𝕟𝕚𝕢𝕦𝕖 𝕚𝕤 𝕓𝕖𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕟 𝕓𝕖𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕗𝕖𝕔𝕥 "

MLB All-Star Game

Tuesday July 16

FINAL

National All-Stars 3 vs 5 American All-Stars

AL tops NL as MLB's best put on a show during 94th All-Star Game

One swing settles it! Duran's dinger lifts AL to All-Star win

Jarren Duran's decisive blow -- a tiebreaking, 2-run HR -- earned him MVP honors and led the American League to its 10th win in the past 11 All-Star Games as AL pitchers blanked the NL for the final 6 innings.

Jarren Duran wins the Ted Williams MVP Award | MLB All-Star Game

The Ted Williams #AllStarGame MVP award goes to Jarren Duran!

AMERICAN LEAGUE WINS IN ARLINGTON #AllStarGame

2024 MLB All-Star Game Full Game Highlights (7/16/24) | MLB Highlights

2024 MLB All-Star Game: Cody Johnson performs the National Anthem | MLB on FOX

Jarren Duran HOMERS to make it 5 unanswered runs for the AL squad during the 2024 MLB All-Star Game!

By Anthony Castrovince @castrovince

ARLINGTON -- The blend was beautiful. Power pitching that overwhelmed the opposition, and power hitting that answered back. Established superstars shining on summer’s biggest stage, and emerging superstars making their presence known in

front of an ample audience.

Emmanuel Clase Secures 5-3 AL All-Star Game Win

Whether it was magnetic Pirates rookie Paul Skenes getting massive Yankees slugger Aaron Judge to roll over on a 100 mph fastball, Dodgers international sensation Shohei Ohtani launching a 400-foot homer or the Phillies’ Trea Turner and Royals’

Bobby Witt Jr. making difficult defensive plays at shortstop, some of the sport’s greatest skillsets were on display Tuesday night at Globe Life Field.

Best of Mic'd Up at the 2024 MLB All-Star Game!! (Ft. Judge, Soto, the Phillies, Big Papi & MORE!)

But the biggest moment of all turned out to be the tiebreaking, two-run homer off the booming bat of Boston’s breakout center fielder Jarren Duran in the American League’s 5-3 win over the National Leaguers.

“That,” Duran said afterward, “is the first home run I’ve ever pimped in my life.”

It was prime time to pimp one, because Duran’s go-ahead swat earned him the Ted Williams All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet and ultimately made the AL victorious for the 17th time in the last 21 Midsummer

Classics.

The Junior Circuit held serve at the home park of the Rangers -– the first defending World Series champion to host the All-Star Game since the 1939 Yankees. And Globe Life Field, a 4-year-old building that has somehow already housed two World

Series, two no-hitters and a record-breaking home run off the bat of Judge in 2022, was easily up to the task of accommodating the All-Stars and a loud and rocking crowd of 39,343.

The game was completed in two hours, 28 minutes, making it the shortest All-Star Game since 1988 (2:26).

Jarren Duran is named the 2024 All-Star Game MVP

Jarren Duran wins the Ted Williams MVP Award MLB All-Star Game

A distinctly Texas-themed pregame featured soon-to-be-Hall-of-Famer Adrian Beltré arriving on a stagecoach and throwing out the ceremonial first pitch to Pudge Rodriguez while flanked by Nolan Ryan and Fergie Jenkins. Then, AL starter Corbin

Burnes of the Orioles pitched a scoreless first inning against the National Leaguers -- possibly an easier assignment than tending to the newborn twins he and his wife just welcomed into the world.

Adrian Beltré throws first pitch at the All-Star Game

Adrian Beltré throws out the first pitch to Pudge at the 2024 All-Star Game! 🤠

But the more anticipated pitches came in the bottom of the first, when Skenes brought his electric right arm to the Midsummer Classic mound just a little over a year after leading Louisiana State University to the national championship at the College

World Series.

“Obviously, I’ve done a lot over the last 13 months,” Skenes said. “I think LSU as a whole does a good job of preparing us for big moments. … There’s not a whole lot else you can do to prepare for moments like this other than to pitch in moments

like this. That was big.”

Paul Skenes navigates AL's stacked All-Star lineup

Paul Skenes pitched a scoreless inning during his All-Star Game DEBUT! (Full inning)

This was the big moment All-Star Week had been building toward, because there has never been an All-Star story like Skenes’. He is the first player ever to be taken No. 1 overall and reach the All-Star Game the very next year, and NL manager

Torey Lovullo upped the significance of that selection by making Skenes just the fifth rookie pitcher to start a Midsummer Classic.

The 22-year-old Skenes, with his fiery fastball and famous splinker among his offerings, met the moment by making short work of the Guardians’ Steven Kwan and the Orioles’ Gunnar Henderson. But he was kind enough to unintentionally walk Juan

Soto to set up the Skenes-Judge matchup everyone wanted.

Soto walks, Judge grounds out vs. Paul Skenes

Juan Soto SPARKED the American League offense during the 3rd inning of the 2024 MLB All-Star Game ⭐️

It turned out to be a brief one, as the power pitcher held the power hitter to a harmless ground ball on the very first pitch to end his awesome outing.

“You’ve got to be [aggressive] with a guy like that, a guy who can throw 100-plus and has feel for all his pitches,” Judge said. “Juan said he would get on for me, and he did, and then it was my job to try to barrel something up.”

Mason Miller Fans Shohei Ohtani on Nasty Slider

Paul Skenes 🆚 Aaron Judge in the All-Star Game ⚔️ ESPN MLB

Pirates’ Paul Skenes gets 100% real about first MLB All-Star Game experience

POWER VS. POWER! ⛽️ Mason Miller vs. Shohei Ohtani during the 2024 MLB All-Star Game was ELECTRIC ⚡️

Bryce Harper All-Star Game 2024

Judge didn’t go deep, but the sport’s other signature slugger sure did.

In the top of the third inning, a mic’d-up Judge talked on the FOX broadcast about how incredible it is to see Ohtani post MVP offensive numbers while still recovering from Tommy John. And right on cue, Ohtani pulverized a Tanner Houck splitter and

sent it into the seats beyond the wall in right-center, making Ohtani the first AL/NL player ever to earn a win on the mound (in Colorado in 2021) and hit a homer in his All-Star Game career.

His three-run blast put the NL ahead, 3-0.

“In general, I haven't really hit well during the All-Star Game,” Ohtani said through an interpreter. “So I'm just relieved that I put a good ball in play.”

Shohei Ohtani ends Dodgers’ 28-year wait for MLB All-Star home run

Shohei Ohtani's towering HR opens All-Star scoring

Shohei Ohtani's three-run home run

STAR OF THE SHO! Shohei Ohtani HOMERS during the 2024 MLB All-Star Game! 大谷翔平ハイライト

Not to be outdone, the American Leaguers staged a rally in the bottom of the inning against the Giants’ Logan Webb. Soto aggressively took the extra bag on a ground ball that became a two-run double.

Juan Soto's Two-Run Double

Then, Guardians utilityman David Fry -- pinch-hitting for Yordan Alvarez (a scenario that would have been impossible to imagine a few months ago, before Fry’s unexpected All-Star first half) -- drove Soto home with the game-tying single.

“Actually, it’s probably easier for me to come off the bench there, because all these other guys play every day,” Fry said with a smile. “To get a hit here was extremely fun.”

Thanks to the A’s electric closer Mason Miller -- who dominated even more than Skenes had with a perfect top of the fifth, threw a 103.6 mph fastball (fastest ever in an All-Star Game since Statcast began tracking) and wound up becoming just the

third rookie to notch a win in this game (joining Spec Shea in 1947 and Dean Stone in 1954, both for the AL) -- it remained 3-3 when the AL came to bat in the bottom of the inning.

Mason Miller's 103.6 mph Fastball sets ASG Record

103.6 MPH! Mason Miller threw the FASTEST All-Star Game pitch in the pitch-tracking era!

Orioles right fielder Anthony Santander ripped a two-out single off the Reds’ Hunter Greene, bringing Duran to the plate. The 27-year-old Duran, who entered the break with 47 extra-base hits for the Red Sox, took a called strike for the first pitch but

swung hard at an 86 mph splitter for the second.

The ball hurtled into the right-center-field seats to give Duran his All-Star moment and the AL a 5-3 lead that the Royals’ Cole Ragans and Seth Lugo, the Rangers’ Kirby Yates and Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase would not relinquish.

Emmanuel Clase secures 5-3 AL All-Star Game win

“It's kind of hard to put into words,” said Duran, “but honestly, I couldn't stop thinking [about] my family and being able to go see them after the game. But I'm just thankful that I was able to do that and help the AL team win.”

Jarren Duran Post Game Press Conference | MLB All-Star Game

Shohei Ohtani Postgame Press Conference | MLB All-Star Game

Paul Skenes Postgame Press Conference | MLB All-Star Game

Shohei Ohtani the betting favorite to win 2024 ASG MVP over Aaron Judge

Howdy, fellas #AllStarGame | #TridentsUp

Present meets future #TridentsUp

"New Home Run Derby Rules and Format"

Home Run Derby S01E01 Mickey Mantle vs Willie Mays

Filmed in California for the 3 weeks in December of 1959, the series aired in syndication from January 9 to July 2, 1960 and helped inspire the Home Run Derby event that is now held the day before the annual Major League Baseball All-Star Game.

ESPN staged a revival of the show in 1989.

Dodgers’ Teoscar Hernandez sounds off on history-making Home Run Derby win

Story by Peter Sampson

Teoscar Hernández discusses the Home Run Derby!

For as long as the Home Run Derby has been in existence, no Los Angeles Dodgers player has ever won the event, until Teoscar Hernandez on Monday night.

Afterward, Hernandez spoke about being the first Dodgers player to win the event,

2024 Home Run Derby: Teoscar Hernández becomes first Dodgers winner

Teoscar Hernandez talks about being the first Dodgers player to win the Home Run Derby. #HRDerby

Hernandez outlasted Kansas City Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. with a wall-scraping effort on Witt’s final swing to win the finals, 14-13.

The new format at the event, which limited the number of pitches participants are able to see in each round, didn’t do much early on to get the crowd on hand fired up. But then came the finals, when Witt nearly overcame a torrid start from

Hernandez to win the Derby only to fall short by about a foot.

Credit has to be given to both Hernandez and Witt Jr. for giving the baseball world a thrilling ending for the Final and the best moment of the night that didn’t involve the national anthem. Despite seemingly being gassed after his intense efforts in

the semis and also having to go first, Hernandez used his deliberate pace to hit another 14 homers. It initially looked like that would be enough for him to win after Witt got off to another slow start.

However, Witt once again found his stride after the timeout and got into the bonus round of at least bringing about a final swing-off. It sure seemed like Witt had done it and brought about the swing-off once his final cut of the night went into the air.

Instead, the ball dramatically died at the warning track and the Dodgers had their first Home Run Derby winner in franchise history in Teoscar Hernandez.

MLB Home Run Derby begins with awful National Anthem

Grammy nominee slammed for Home Run Derby national anthem performance

Before the Derby, Ingrid Andress struggled in her national anthem performance at the 2024 Home Run Derby.

Uhhh... that anthem was interesting. Sung by Ingrid Andress

HOME RUN DERBY SWING-OFF 💪 Teoscar Hernandez takes down Alec Bohm to advance to final 👏 | ESPN MLB

The country music singer-songwriter and four-time Grammy nominee was clearly having a difficult time, and it’s not clear what exactly caused a rendition of the anthem that went well beyond the bounds of “artistic interpretation.”

Astros beat writer Michael Schwab summed it up by saying, “My ears are bleeding. One of the worst national anthem renditions ever.”

In baseball circles, Monday’s anthem drew comparisons to Roseanne Barr, who (intentionally) butchered the national anthem at a Padres game in 1990. Others remembered Fergie’s infamous performance at the 2018 NBA All-Star Game.

“I’m so sorry, I’m sure Ingrid Andress is a wonderful person, but that was one of the worst national anthems I think I’ve ever heard in my whole life,” SI’s Alex Carr wrote.

Andress’ 2019 single “More Hearts Than Mine” peaked at No. 30 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The winning round! #HRDerby (MLB x @GoogleCloud)

Bobby Witt Jr.’s instant reaction to losing Home Run Derby to Teoscar Hernandez

Bobby Witt Jr.’s instant reaction to losing Home Run Derby to Teoscar Hernandez

Story by Sam DiGiovanni

Kansas City Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. gave fans a performance to remember at the 2024 Home Run Derby, becoming the first player ever from his franchise to make it out of the opening round and making it to the final stage on a tear.

Unfortunately for him, he came up just short, losing to Los Angeles Dodgers star Teoscar Hernandez.

Witt hit 20 home runs in the first round, the second-highest total of that round, before leading the second round with 17. In the finals, the Texas native came up just one long ball shy of Hernandez, using the most of his outs by earning a bonus one

and smacking some towering blasts. Down to his last out with the chance to force a swing-off for all the marbles, he struck the ball 406 feet and…just short.

It came down to the last swing!!! What a thrilling ending to the #HRDerby

It would be hard to script an ending as close as that one. Witt got just to the edge of the warning track with a wall that wasn’t too tough to clear, giving Hernandez the win, the first ever for a Dodger. The Royals star’s fantastic performance will be

remembered and appreciated. It will also be fans hoping to see him in the derby again in the future.

After the fun, Witt wasn’t too dejected. He was simply happy to be a part of the exciting show, saying simply how much fun it was on Twitter/X.

Indeed it was fun, Bobby. Although the pool of participants this season lacked a face-of-the-game type of player (think Aaron Judge or Shohei Ohtani), it was a fantastic show that featured great moments. Even Patrick Mahomes was locked in as he

watched for his fellow KC superstar to win it. Witt couldn’t pull it off but he undoubtedly had one of the best performances of the derby.

Bobby Witt Jr. emerging as superstar for the Royals

In a field that featured multi-time winner Pete Alonso, reigning ALCS MVP Adolis Garcia and fellow All-Stars Hernandez, Jose Ramirez, Gunnar Henderson, Alec Bohm and Marcell Ozuna, Witt was one of the very biggest stars in this year’s derby.

Witt will come off the bench for the American League in the main event but has MVP-level numbers. He comes into the All-Star Game rocking a .928 OPS with an MLB-leading 125 hits. The shortstop has 63 RBI, 25 doubles, nine triples, 16 home runs

and 22 stolen bases on 31 attempts. He’s getting better and better each season, improving his OPS, walk rate, strikeout rate and exit velocity over his three MLB campaigns.

Barring something unforeseen, Witt is going to be an All-Star for years to come. There will be plenty more chances to see him in the Home Run Derby. With his ability to string together homers in succession, he seems destined to win it one day.

The Royals are in pretty good shape, too, having a 52-45 record that leaves them just on the outside of the playoff picture entering the break thanks primarily to the production of Witt and the outstanding season from Seth Lugo. The future is bright

at Kauffman Stadium and there’s no bigger reason for that than Witt.

Hernández Outslugs Witt to become 1st Dodger to Win HR Derby Crown

TEOSCAR HERNÁNDEZ IS YOUR 2024 CHAMPION

Jeff Passan, ESPNJul 15, 2024

ARLINGTON, Texas -- When the final swing of the 2024 Home Run Derby launched a ball into the night at Globe Life Field, Bobby Witt Jr. narrowed his eyes and Teoscar Hernández held his breath. An otherwise unremarkable Derby was suddenly

careening toward a dramatic ending -- one that would come down to a matter of feet.

The ball off Witt's bat ultimately caromed off the base of the center-field fence, prompting a sigh of disappointment from him and a triumphant thrust of Hernández's arms into the air. In the Derby finals, Hernández defeated Witt by the narrowest of

margins: 14 home runs to 13, just as he'd survived a swing-off to win by one homer in the semifinals.

The FIRST Dodger to win the Home Run Derby ... Teoscar Hernández!

2024 Home Run Derby Full Highlights

Celebrate Los Angeles Dodgers GIF by MLB

The 31-year-old Hernández, a widely beloved teammate and consistent power source over the past decade, became the first Los Angeles Dodgers player to win the Derby. He took home a $1 million prize, a medallion that said "DERBY CHAMP" and

the pride of standing in against perhaps baseball's best young star and more than matching him swing for swing.

"It doesn't matter who I'm going against. I'm going to bet on myself," said Hernández, who entered the Derby with the sixth-longest odds of the eight-man field. "People maybe underestimate me. You can see it at the end when Witt was hitting all

those homers. Everybody was shooting for him. But I'm [as] talented as all those guys over there. They might be younger, but same talent."

Witt, the Kansas City Royals shortstop who grew up 20 minutes from Globe Life Field, won the High School Home Run Derby at the All-Star Game in Washington, D.C, six years ago and looked primed to take another Derby title Monday. In the event's

new format, players could see a maximum of 40 pitches over three minutes, then could hit as many home runs as possible before missing three in a bonus round. In the final, the time was reduced to two minutes and the pitches 27.

Participating in his first Derby, Hernández became the seventh player from the Dominican Republic to win the event. He had gotten hot in the middle of his final round and built a strong advantage on Witt, who struggled to start his round.

By the end, Witt hit 11 home runs and earned an extra out in bonus time by hitting a ball over 425 feet.

A CHAMPIONSHIP SWING-OFF FOR THE AGES! THE WHOLE FINAL ROUND with Teoscar Hernández & Bobby Witt Jr.

The Champ by the numbers

Teoscar Hernández 49 Total HR Top Distance = 466 Feet Pictured: Teoscar Hernández mid-swing in a home white Dodgers uniform at the T-Mobile Home Run Derby. The Home Run Derby Trophy can be seen in the background.

"I was nervous," Hernández said.

The nerves were understandable, particularly on the last swing. With his brother-in-law James Russell -- a former Chicago Cubs reliever -- throwing to him, Witt hammered a ball toward center field.

Though it's generally a dead zone for home run contests, Witt struck it well enough to convince many of the 38,578 in attendance that he had tied Hernández.

"I thought I had a chance when I hit it," Witt said, "but I saw it was just a little bit too high."

Teoscar Hernandez (+1100) wins the 2024 MLB Home Run Derby 😱 ESPN BET

Hernández celebrated with his former teammate and 2023 Derby champion, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who was wearing Hernández's jersey from their days with the Toronto Blue Jays. It's where Hernández developed into the sort of power threat the

Dodgers coveted this winter and signed to a one-year free agent contract to join Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman in Los Angeles' powerful lineup.

Hernández will start in center field for the National League on Tuesday and was invited as part of a field that lacked the star power of Derbies in the past decade won by the likes of Aaron Judge, Bryce Harper and Juan Soto. Hernández barely

advanced to the semifinals, finishing behind Philadelphia third baseman Alec Bohm, Cleveland third baseman Jose Ramirez and Witt in the first round. Two-time Derby champion Pete Alonso bowed out, hitting only 12 home runs, as did

Atlanta's Marcell Ozuna, Baltimore's Gunnar Henderson and hometown favorite Adolis Garcia of the Texas Rangers, who finished one home run behind Hernandez's 19.

In the semifinals, Hernández and Bohm tied with 14 home runs over their allotted 40 pitches and bonus time. Hernández benefited from the pinpoint pitching of Dodgers coach Dino Ebel, a veteran of multiple past Home Run Derby contests, in the

three-swing winner-takes-all overtime.

Teoscar Hernandez describes how AMAZING it feels to win the Home Run Derby ESPN MLB

Hernández homered on his second and third cuts. Bohm hit one out to left field on the second pitch, but his third swing landed softly in the outfield grass.

"I do this every day," Ebel said. "That's my job. I always joke around with the players: My job is to get lit up in batting practice. I just got to know where they like it."

Awaiting him was Witt, who has long admired Hernández and his abilities as a well-rounded hitter who happens to possess game-changing power, too.

"I knew every time he playing he's got crazy juice to all parts of field," Witt said. "So, it was cool to see him do that."

Plenty of others concurred. On a night without any long home runs -- Ozuna hit the farthest at 473 feet -- or rounds with big totals, the end kept everyone on edge.

And it set up the potential return of Guerrero next year, provided his friend -- the new champion -- looks for a repeat.

"If Teoscar does it," Guerrero told ESPN's Alden Gonzalez, "I'm in."

2024 Celeb Softball Game, live from Arlington!

The 2024 MLB All-Star Game STARTERS! (Judge, Harper & Shohei headline, plus Gunnar, J-Ram & MORE 🤩)

American and National League All-Star starters REVEALED 🤩 ESPN MLB

The 2024 Home Run Derby contestants (Home Run highlights from 2024!)

Stud Mariners reliever replaces Logan Gilbert on All-Star roster

Story by Gerard Angelo Samillano

Munoz has been one of the best relievers in the MLB this season, posting the fifth-lowest ERA amongst qualified AL relievers. He also has 15 saves, eighth in the AL, six of which were two-inning long save wins. However, Munoz was not named to the

All-Star game initially, due to the many other equally deserving options. A stroke of fortune, though, allowed the star relieved to finally get his flowers in the All-Star Game.

With Gilbert scheduled to start just before the All-Star game, the star pitcher has decided to back out of the midseason classic. In his stead, the league has named Munoz as the replacement for Gilbert, per Bob Nightengale.

“Mariners starter Logan Gilbert replaced on the AL All-Star team by teammate Andres Munoz”

Mariners manager Scott Servais surprised Munoz by announcing his All-Star selection through a song that played during his announcement. The star reliever was pretty happy about the announcement.

““I was so nervous,” Muñoz said of his chances of making the All-Star squad, “but I got a little bit of … maybe it can happen. And then when I heard this Mexican song … it was really good, really good to be a part of that.”

Munoz and Gilbert are the only two Mariners named to the All-Star Game. The other relievers named in the midseason classic are Mason Miller of the Athletics, Clay Holmes of the Yankees, Emmanuel Clase of the Guardians, and Kirby Yates of the

Red Sox.

Mariners fighting for AL West control

For most of the season, the Mariners have held control of the AL West quite comfortably. With the Houston Astros struggling to start the season and the Texas Rangers flopping, Seattle took advantage and jumped out to an early lead. However, over

the last month or so, the Astros have come roaring back. They now sit just one game behind Seattle for the top seed in the AL West.

The Mariners have mostly relied on their pitching prowess to get them through the season. With Gilbert, Luis Castillo, and George Kirby, Seattle has a formidable pitching staff. It’s helped the team mask their anemic offense. Seattle ranks dead-last

in batting average and near the bottom of the league in most batting metrics.

Is this a sustainable model for success? Not quite. Playing with extremes like this often tend to leave the team hanging on a razor’s edge. With the pitching starting to slowly come down to earth, the Mariners are slowly squandering their AL West

lead game after game. Gilbert, Munoz, and the Seattle pitching can only do so much: the team needs to wake up on offense.

The All-Star break should give the Mariners some time to figure out their approach for the second half of the season. Can Seattle muster up the strength to fend off the oncoming Astros?