Miami Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton was eliminated from the Home Run Derby in the first round on Monday.
Stanton entered the HR Derby as the defending champion and had high hopes in his home ballpark. Gary Sanchez of the New York Yankees dashed those hopes however, when he hit 17 home runs in the opening round. Stanton was matched up against Sanchez and hit after the Yankee slugger.
Even with a daunting task, Stanton gave it a good run with 16 home runs in his opportunity. The outfielder had the home crowd roaring as he sent ball after ball onto the concourse. Even with 30 extra seconds, Stanton simply ran out of gas and was eliminated from contention.
Stanton hit a record 61 home runs in last year's Home Run Derby in San Diego and brought back memories of that show with tape measure shots in this one. Ultimately, the hang time on Stanton's home runs may have been an issue this time around. With a clock running, Stanton's balls took a long time to land and left the slugger with less time for his comeback.
All is not lost for Stanton, as he will compete in Tuesday's All-Star Game in Miami as well. Stanton was named the designated hitter for the game earlier on Monday and he will bat second for the National League All-Stars.
