Vladimir Guerrero won the MLB Home Run Derby in 2007.
Sixteen years later, his son achieved the same feat.
Toronto Blue Jays All-Star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. won the 2023 Home Run Derby at T-Mobile Park in Seattle on Monday night. With the victory, Vladimir and Vladimir Jr. are the first father-son duo to win the event.
Guerrero Jr. just edged out Tampa Bay Rays All-Star outfielder Randy Arozarena by a score of 25-23 in the final. Both players were looking to become the first Derby champion from their respective MLB clubs.
Following his triumph, Guerrero Jr. was congratulated by his father on Twitter.
Guerrero Jr. made a historic Derby debut in 2019, hitting the most home runs in a single contest ever with 91. But that record total still wasn't enough to defeat champion Pete Alonso, who won the final round 23-22 over Guerrero Jr.
Four years after his runner-up finish, Guerrero Jr. didn't need to top his own record mark to win the event. He cruised past Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts 26-11 in the first round.
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Then came a daunting second-round matchup against Julio Rodriguez, who had the home Seattle crowd behind him. And the Mariners outfielder came out of the gates in historically hot fashion, crushing a staggering 41 homers in the first round to eliminate two-time champion Pete Alonso. The 41 dingers actually broke Guerrero Jr.'s first-round record set in 2019 by one.
But Rodriguez cooled off considerably with just 20 second-round homers, a mark Guerrero Jr. had no issues surpassing.
Guerrero Jr. kicked off the final by hitting the most homers ever in the round with 25. It looked like Arozarena was on his way to at least tying Guerrero Jr.'s record number in bonus time, but he ran out of steam in the final seconds.
Arozarena recorded the second-most total homers in Derby history with 82, one more than Rodriguez hit in his second-place finish last year.
The MLB All-Star festivities conclude with the Midsummer Classic on Tuesday night.
