Home Run Derby records: Most home runs, biggest rounds, longest homers and more

The 2023 MLB Home Run Derby is set to take place on Monday, July 10 at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, Washington. The event will begin at 8 p.m. ET and will be televised on ESPN. Over nearly three decades of Derby history, we’ve seen some iconic performances and jaw-dropping dingers — and we could be in for even more on Monday night with a field that includes Pete Alonso, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and more of the game’s most fearsome sluggers.

So, to make sure you’re brushed up on your facts before things get going, let’s take a quick run through the Derby record books. Who owns the most memorable performances in Home Run Derby history? Who’s hit the most Derby home runs all-time? Which teams boast the most Derby titles? You’ve got questions, we’ve got answers.

Home Run Derby records

Who has won the most Home Run Derbies?

One man stands alone with three Home Run Derby trophies, the man who did more than just about anyone else to put the event on the map in the 1990s: Ken Griffey Jr.

The Kid’s first Derby title came in 1994, when he outslugged Fred McGriff at Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers Stadium. After that, it seemed like Griffey might be done with the Derby for good — until the fans at Coors Field shamed him into participating in the 1998 festivities, booing him so heavily during batting practice the day before that he wound up entering at the last minute. That turned out pretty well:

Griffey Jr. saved his best for last, though. The very next year he went back-to-back, outlasting a historic dinger barrage from Mark McGwire to take home his third and final Derby crown. New York Mets slugger Pete Alonso is the only other player to win multiple Derbies, capturing the title in 2019 and 2021. He’ll look to match Griffey’s mark on Monday in Seattle.

Who has the most homers in a single Derby?

The shift from 10 outs per round to timed rounds has obviously made a huge difference in the number of homers hit — each of the 10 highest single-Derby totals has come since the format changed back in 2015.

No matter what the rules, though, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s performance in the 2019 Home Run Derby stands in a class of its own.

Vladito hit 91 total homers that night at Progressive Field, 10 more than the next-closest guy on the list. He set a single-round record in his opening matchup against future teammate Matt Chapman with 29 homers, then one-upped himself with 40 in the second — with some help from two tiebreakers and a swing-off against Joc Pederson. Guerrero Jr. eventually bowed out to Alonso in a memorable final, but his place in the record book was secure.

The 10 highest single-Derby totals are below:

Who has the most homers in a single round in Derby history?

Guerrero Jr. and Pederson’s second round in 2019 was an all-timer.

Vlad nearly hit the 30 mark in regulation, but his final swing of the first three minutes fell just short of the left-field seats. Pederson matched him swing-for-swing, though, hitting a last-second homer to send things to a tiebreaker. With the players still even after two extra sessions, things went to a three-swing swing-off, in which Guerrero finally emerged triumphant with a whopping 40 dingers.

The 10 highest single-round totals in Derby history are below:

Who’s hit the most Home Run Derby homers all-time?

This one isn’t even close. Pete Alonso was seemingly designed in a lab for the Derby, combining prodigious power with a machine-like stroke and a seeming relish for demolishing baseballs. While other stars want some time off, Alonso looks forward to the event every year, and he sits far and away atop the leaderboard for the most total Derby homers ever.

Which team boasts the most Home Run Derby winners?

Sure, the Derby is a team sport, but that never stopped any fan from seeking out every possible excuse for bragging rights. And wouldn’t you know, it’s the New York Yankees who top this list, with four Derby champions to their credit: Tino Martinez in 1997, Jason Giambi in 2002, Robinson Cano in 2011 and Aaron Judge back in 2017.