Washington Nationals outfielder Juan Soto entered Monday’s first-round matchup in the Home Run Derby against Cleveland Indians’ Jose Ramirez as the odds-on favorite to advance.
Ramirez’s modest 17 home runs in his Derby debut set the stage for Soto to walk into the semifinals. Soto wasted no time, cranking up a quick 18 home runs before his initial three minutes were up.
As he belted No. 18, Soto knew it was gone and uncorked an emphatic bat flip as the ball cleared the outfield wall at Dodger Stadium.
Last year, Soto beat No. 1 seed Shohei Ohtani while crushing the longest home run in Derby history. But he fell short in the semifinals to eventual champion Pete Alonso,
This year, Soto has his eyes on making a run to win it all. He’s got off to a great start.
Soto will face the 42-year old Albert Pujols, who pulled off a stunning first-round upset of No. 1 seed Kyle Schwarber.
