2021 MLB Home Run Derby results, takeaways: Pete Alonso defends crown vs. Trey Mancini; Ohtani ousted early

Alonso won the Home Run Derby for the second consecutive time on Monday night

For only the third time in history, we have repeat Home Run Derby champion. Monday night, New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso bested Baltimore Orioles first baseman Trey Mancini in the finals of the 2021 Home Run Derby at Coors Field in Denver.

"I feel like I'm the best power hitter in the game," Alonso told ESPN during a television interview after winning the Home Run Derby. He earned a $1 million winner's prize.

Alonso crushed 35 home runs in the first round, the highest single-round total of the night, and 23 homers in the final round to beat Mancini. He previously won the 2019 Home Run Derby at Progressive Field in Cleveland as a rookie.

Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani, the MLB leader with 33 home runs, was ousted in Round 1 by Nationals wunderkind Juan Soto. It took two dramatic tiebreakers, however. Joey Gallo, the No. 2 seed, was ousted by hometown Rockie Trevor Story in the first round. Soto hit the night's longest home run at 520 feet. 

Here's how the 2021 Home Run Derby played out.

2021 MLB Home Run Derby results

First round

• No. 6 Trey Mancini, Orioles (24 homers) defeats No. 3 Matt Olson, Athletics (23 homers)
• No. 7 Trevor Story, Rockies (20 homers) defeats No. 2 Joey Gallo, Rangers (19 homers)
• No. 5 Pete Alonso, Mets (35 homers) defeats No. 4 Salvador Perez, Royals (28 homers)
  
• No. 8 Juan Soto, Nationals (31 homers) defeats No. 1 Shohei Ohtani, Angels (28 homers) in swing-off

Second round

• Trey Mancini (13 homers) defeats Trevor Story (12 homers)
• Pete Alonso (16 homers) defeats Juan Soto (15 homers)

Final

• Pete Alonso (23 homers) defeats Trey Mancini (22 homers)

And here are five takeaways from Monday night's derby.

1. Re-Pete Alonso

Alonso won the Derby in 2019, and then the 2020 edition was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. That meant Alonso came in as the defending champ. With the win, he becomes just the third player ever to win back-to-back Derbies. The other two are Yoenis Cespedes in 2013 and 2014 and Ken Griffey Jr. in 1998 and 1999. Relevant: 

His name is Pete, and he hits taters. This is why he should be nicknamed "Petaters." 

2. Alonso also made first-round history

Alonso announced his presence loudly in the first round, as he mashed 35 home runs. That occasioned some derby history: 

Add those 35 up and you get just shy of three miles of home runs in the first round alone. Here's a look: 

Alonso pretty much needed such an effort, as his first-round opponent Salvador Perez racked up 28 dingers, which is the most ever by a catcher in the Home Run Derby. 

3. Mancini turned in an inspiring performance

As a survivor of stage 3 colon cancer, Mancini was already a rich source of inspiration before his performance in the derby on Monday night. But then he went out and made the finals while also pushing Alonso close to the limit. 

Coming in, Mancini was considered a longshot by most bookmakers (his +1600 odds to win entering the night were the longest among the eight-hitter field) but he wound up defying expectations in a big way with a win over Olson in the first round and hometown rep Story in the second round. 

4. Soto sent Ohtani packing

Shohei Ohtani's run in the Home Run Derby was short-lived. Nationals wunderkind Juan Soto eliminated Ohtani in Round 1, though it took two dramatic tiebreakers to do it. Ohtani and Soto tied with 22 homers apiece in the initial three-minute round (plus 60-second bonus time). They then tied with six homers apiece in the one-minute tiebreaker round.

The second tiebreaker is a three-swing swing-off and Soto went a perfect 3 for 3. Three swings, three homers. Ohtani failed to go deep on his first swing and that was it, he was eliminated.

Ohtani hit six 500-foot home runs and 15 475-foot home runs, both records in a single round in the Statcast era (2015 to present). Ohtani hit home runs 513, 507, 505, 503, 500, and 500 feet. Soto had the night's longest home run at 520 feet.

Although he was eliminated in Round 1, Ohtani fans can look forward to the Tuesday's All-Star Game, when Ohtani will serve as the American League's starting pitcher and starting DH.

5. Coors Field did not disappoint

MLB wisely did not store the Home Run Derby baseballs in the Coors Field humidor, so they really flew out of the park Monday. No humidor and high altitude makes for some good dinger-hittin'. Here are the 10 longest home runs of the 2021 Home Run Derby:

1. 520 feet: Juan Soto (Round 1)
2. 518 feet: Trevor Story (Round 1)
3. 514 feet: Pete Alonso (Round 1)
4. 513 feet: Shohei Ohtani (Round 1)
5. 512 feet: Pete Alonso (Round 1)
6. 509 feet: Pete Alonso (Finals)
7. 508 feet: Pete Alonso (Finals)
8. 507 feet: Shohei Ohtani (Round 1)
9. 506 feet: Juan Soto (Round 1)
10. 505 feet: Shohei Ohtani (Round 1)

Prior to Monday, the longest Home Run Derby home run in the Statcast era was a 513-foot blast by Aaron Judge in 2017.  

The longest home run of Round 2 was a 498-footer by Alonso. The shortest homer of the night? A 359-foot wall-scaper by Story in Round 1.

Our live blog was running all night with highlights and analysis. Check out the Home Run Derby's best moments below.

[Jul 12, 2021 at 10:46 pm ET · Matt Snyder]

Finals:

Pete Alonso (23) over Trey Mancini (22).

Alonso walks it off for his second straight Derby win

[Jul 12, 2021 at 10:23 pm ET · Matt Snyder]

Second round results

Mancini (13) over Story (12) with time to spare

Alonso (16) over Soto (15) with time to spare

[Jul 12, 2021 at 9:46 pm ET · Matt Snyder]

First round final results:

Mancini (24) over Olson (23)

Story (20) over Gallo (19)

Alonso (35) over Perez (28)

Soto (31) over Ohtani (28) in two swing offs

[Jul 12, 2021 at 10:46 pm ET · Matt Snyder]

that was some kind of performance

[Jul 12, 2021 at 10:45 pm ET · Matt Snyder]

Alonso needed 25 seconds to hit six home runs and walk it off

[Jul 12, 2021 at 10:44 pm ET · Matt Snyder]

Alonso has 17 with a minute of bonus time coming. Five to tie, six to win. This is gonna be fun.

[Jul 12, 2021 at 10:42 pm ET · Matt Snyder]

Alonso really enjoying himself. Dancing along to music while he waits for his timeout to end