The City of Angels is proud of its Dominican superstar. Unlike the beginning of the Home Run Derby with a subpar rendition of the National Anthem by Ingrid Address, Teoscar Hernandez hit it big. The Dominican player made history becoming the first ever Dodger to win the Home Run Derby. As fans celebrate the moment on social media, loyal Dodgers fan and part owner Magic Johnson also praised the 31-year-old.

Addressing all the Dodgers, the Los Angeles Lakers legend wrote, “Dodger Nation, let’s all congratulate Teoscar Hernández for winning the 2024 MLB Home Run Derby! He’s the first Dodger ever to do so! 👏🏾 @Dodgers,” on X.

Along with Magic Johnson, the crowd at the Globe Life Field erupted in joy as Hernandez won. It was truly an intense battle against Kansas City Royals’ star Bobby Witt Jr. As was the case throughout the night, Hernandez managed to edge out his opponent by one dinger. The Dodgers star swatted away 14 shots in the final after batting first. Things got extremely tense as Witt came one away from tying the score in bonus time. However, his last swing just missed, making Hernandez the seventh Dominican and first Dodger to win the Derby.

His underwhelming performance in 2023 had many doubt whether the MLB outfielder would be able to get back to his original glory. “People maybe underestimate [me]. You can see it at the end when [Bobby Witt Jr.] was hitting all those homers. Everybody was [rooting] for him. But I’m here, [and I’m] as talented as all those guys over there,” Hernandez stated after the win as per MLB’s official website. Last year, he had the highest number of strikeouts and his lowest OPS. But he had an answer coming to the Dodgers.

Can we expect a new Dodgers deal with Teoscar Hernandez?

After the Seattle Mariners, Hernandez signed a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers for $23.5 million. He still has half of the year to show his worth until he becomes a free agent. And it’s safe to say, he showed what he is capable of and fans are indeed impressed.

Alec Bohm, Adolis Garcia, Marcell Ozuna, Jose Ramirez, and Gunnar Henderson also were the highlights of the Home Run Derby. Not to forget the thrilling battle between Bohm and Hernandez, where both tied with 14 homers with the latter ultimately beating his opponent and launching two homers. The 2x All-Star has not only overcome his hurdles but also exceeded expectations to make an impression alongside teammate Shohei Ohtani.

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