Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Joc Pederson put on a show in a thrilling swing-off during the Home Run Derby. After Guerrero launched 29 homers in the first two rounds, the showdown came down to a one-minute tiebreaker. Vladdy started by smashing one deep to left, then fouled off his second swing and took a pitch on his third attempt. He finished with one homer in that round.
Pederson only needed two to win. He took his time, passed on several pitches, then hit a bomb. Needing one more, he fouled one off and popped another up. Close, but not enough. That forced a second swing-off. The crowd and players were locked in, with even stars like Bregman and Lindor reacting with disbelief.
In round two, Guerrero came out strong. After taking two pitches, he crushed one and celebrated hard. His next swing was another homer, sending the dugout into a frenzy. He fell short on his third attempt but built a solid lead. Pederson again needed two to tie, three to win. He blasted his first, grounded out on the next, and needed a final push. He rolled it over, ending the duel. Guerrero met him with a hug after one of the most entertaining head-to-heads MLB has seen in years.