Mark Trumbo puts on show in Home Run Derby, falls to Stanton in semifinals

Some people are born to hit home runs. Orioles slugger Mark Trumbo is one of these people, which is why he has hit 28 homers at the All-Star break to lead MLB and why he was in Monday’s Home Run Derby.

Other people were also born to hit home runs, like unbelievably strong human being Giancarlo Stanton, who put on an absolute show in the competition on the way to winning the title. Trumbo advanced to the semifinals by beating Corey Seager in the first round, but he ran into the Stanton buzzsaw at that point in time and lost, 17-14.

That’s a respectable outcome and one that will save you some money. The Orioles announced that for each round Trumbo advanced, they would take $5 off lower level seats to six select upcoming games. The discount code “TRUMBOMB” is supposed to be activated tomorrow around 10am.

Trumbo might not have been the winner, but that didn’t stop him from putting on a heck of a show. He blasted more than one home run onto the roof of the Western Metal Supply Co. building out in left field of San Diego, which is something I’m not sure was even considered possible before tonight.

Here’s the feat in motion:

You can’t really see the ball or anything, but since MLB hates fun, the only GIF you’ll get to see is this one. Sorry. I think the ball hit one of those palm trees up there, which should really be worth ten home runs.

Trumbo’s first round matchup against Seager ended up with a walkoff home run of sorts. Seager hit 15 home runs. Trumbo, batting second, needed 16 to win it. This seemed like a tall order based on how many home runs were hit in the derby last year, but as it ended up, Trumbo eclipsed Seager with 45 seconds to spare, which proved very exciting for Manny Machado:

The roof shot was not the only impressive feat of strength that Trumbo put on, either. The ESPN broadcast crew, announcers and cameramen both, really, really wanted to see someone hit the scoreboard out in left center field, something that no one has done yet in regulation play.

It was Trumbo who finally pulled off the triumph:

Although he wasn’t the winner, there’s surely no shame in Trumbo losing out to the eventual champion in Stanton, who was simply on another plane. At one point in the broadcast, ESPN showed the ten longest home run distances of the derby. All ten of them had been hit by Stanton.

And by the way, in home runs that actually counted in games, Trumbo still leads Stanton, 28-20.