Juan Soto Wins 2022 Home Run Derby

Washington Nationals outfielder Juan Soto took down Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez in the finals of the 2022 Home Run Derby on Monday, walking it off, 19-18.

Juan Soto defeated Julio Rodríguez, 19-18, in the finals of the 2022 Home Run Derby, to win his first derby crown.

The moment Juan Soto became a #HRDerby champ! pic.twitter.com/VoSXTeczj9

— MLB (@MLB) July 19, 2022

Soto became the second player in Washington Nationals history to win a Home Run Derby, following Bryce Harper in 2018, when the derby was hosted at Nationals Park.

The final was the first one between two players age-23 or younger in the history of the Home Run Derby, and the elder one of the two, the 23-year-old Soto, came out on top.

The winning moment. #HRDerby pic.twitter.com/CdAnVnjsZg

— MLB (@MLB) July 19, 2022

Soto hit 53 combined home runs in the derby, with his best individual round coming in the final.

His average home run distance on the night was 427 feet and his average exit velocity was 106.5 MPH.

Soto's longest homer of the night was a 482-foot shot. In total, he hit over 4.3 miles worth of home runs.

About 30 minutes before the Home Run Derby, I asked Juan Soto how he was feeling.

"Pretty good," he said.

Then I asked if he's going to win the Derby.

"Probably," he said.

It's impossible to dislike Soto. Or Julio Rodríguez. Baseball is in great hands with its young stars.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 19, 2022

His opponent, Rodríguez, hit the most home runs of anyone in the derby on the night, finishing with 81 homers, the second-most all-time in a single derby in the history of the event.

J-Rod hit over 6.4 miles of home runs of an average distance of 414 feet. Unfortunately for him, his worst performance of the night came in the final, off the backs of two straight 30+ homer rounds.

Total home runs tonight:

Julio Rodriguez -- 81
Juan Soto -- 53

I can't tell you who my champion is and he wears No. 44 for the Mariners.

Congrats to Julio for an epic performance. He made Seattle proud tonight.

— Joe Fann (@Joe_Fann) July 19, 2022

Soto can add his Home Run Derby title to a growing trophy case that includes a World Series ring and two Silver Slugger awards.

He's the second-youngest Home Run Derby winner in league history, accomplishing the feat just one day older than Juan Gonzalez, who won it in 1993.