Austin Dean, a foreign-born hitter for the LG Twins of the Korean Baseball Organization, has won the All-Star Home Run Derby.
Austin beat out the Hanwha Eagles’ Jonathan Peraza in the final of the Comcast Pro Baseball Home Run Derby for the 2024 Shinhan SolBank KBO All-Star Game at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on Friday.
The Home Run Derby, held after the Futures All-Star Game, featured Austin, Peraza, SSG Landers Choi Jeong-jeong, KIA Tigers Kim Do-young, Hanwha Roh Si-hwan, LG Park Dong-won, NC Dinos Kim Hyung-joon, KT Wiz Mel Rojas Jr. and NC Dinos Mel Rojas, who were the top vote-getters in fan voting among the 12 All-Star players who hit 10 or more home runs in the first half.
The Home Run Derby is an individual competition, with seven eliminations per player and a 10-elimination final.
Peraza’s nine home runs in the qualifying rounds of the Home Run Derby earned him a spot in the final. He and Kim, who tied for second place with four home runs, then batted in a sudden-death format, with Austin taking turns at bat.
Austin batted first and blasted four home runs. Peraza came up next, and with two outs, he hit four home runs to put the championship within reach. However, neither could add another home run, sending the matchup into sudden death.
After going silent in Game 1, Austin and Peraza were evenly matched in Game 2. Austin hit a home run, while Peraza couldn’t get a pitch over the fence.
As the winner with the most home runs, Austin took home a trophy, $5,000, and an LG CineBeam Cube. Runner-up Peraza took home a trophy and $1 million in prize money. Rojas, who won the distance award with a home run of 130 meters, received a Samsung Galaxy Tab S9.
Austin told reporters, “I wasn’t expecting (to win) at all. I just came out to have fun, and I got a lot of luck, and I ended up in first place,” Austin told 토토 먹튀검증 reporters. “I didn’t expect to go to sudden death because Peraza was doing so well, and I’ve never experienced anything like that before.”
Asked if he thought he was going to win as Peraza’s strike count increased, he said, “I thought it was going to be a rematch when I got to eight outs. Honestly, I wanted Peraza to hit a home run, but he kept missing. As a fellow foreigner, I was rooting for him and wanted him to win.”
After the Home Run Derby, Austin spoke briefly with Peraza. “We were just encouraging each other. We were both hitting well, but I was exhausted and I said I couldn’t hit anymore,” he said, adding with a laugh, “Peraza came into the league this year and he’s been really good. He’s an all-star, no doubt about it.”
He then turned to the team’s first-team manager, who was his batting ball partner, and said, “Sometimes he comes to practice and throws me a few bats, and it’s my favorite bat I’ve ever hit, so I was going to ask him to throw it to me when I go to the Home Run Derby, but he did a great job today,” and added, “I want to give him all the money I won today.”
Austin will play in the KBO All-Star Game on June 6 at the same venue. “I’m thankful for the fans who traveled a long way to support me today and the players who voted for me. I’m looking forward to it.”