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Juan Soto finishes off HR Derby round with emphatic bat flip
Washington Nationals right fielder Juan Soto Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Juan Soto finishes off HR Derby round with emphatic bat flip

Originally posted on DC Sports King
By King W. Motley III  |  Last updated 7/18/22

Washington Nationals outfielder Juan Soto entered Monday’s first-round matchup in the Home Run Derby against Cleveland Indians’ Jose Ramirez as the odds-on favorite to advance.

Ramirez’s modest 17 home runs in his Derby debut set the stage for Soto to walk into the semifinals. Soto wasted no time, cranking up a quick 18 home runs before his initial three minutes were up.

As he belted No. 18, Soto knew it was gone and uncorked an emphatic bat flip as the ball cleared the outfield wall at Dodger Stadium.

Last year, Soto beat No. 1 seed Shohei Ohtani while crushing the longest home run in Derby history. But he fell short in the semifinals to eventual champion Pete Alonso,

This year, Soto has his eyes on making a run to win it all. He’s got off to a great start.

Soto will face the 44-year old Albert Pujols, who pulled off a stunning first-round upset of No. 1 seed Kyle Schwarber.

This article first appeared on DC Sports King and was syndicated with permission.

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