The 2024 Home Run Derby featured a dramatic final round between Los Angeles Dodgers’ slugger Teoscar Hernandez and star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals. The tension slowly built during Witt Jr.’s final swings of the evening as he closed the distance in the competition but ultimately fell one home run short of tying Hernandez’s 14 long balls.
Kansas City Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes is used to controlling the outcome of contests but on Monday night he was like any other fan, helplessly but intently watching as Witt Jr. valiantly attempted to overtake Hernandez.
Mahomes’ wife Brittany noticed the nervous energy coming from her famous husband as the championship round wore on and snapped a photo capturing the moment. Brittany playfully captioned the pic “Power stance” on her Instagram story, referencing the unusual way Mahomes was standing while watching the event, per Rex Villas of Athlon Sports. She included a crying laughing emoji to make the mockery complete.
Witt Jr. made his first All-Star team this year and participated in his first Home Run Derby. The Royals’ star acquitted himself well in the competition. Despite finishing as the runner-up he led all participants with 50 homers on the night. Derby winner Hernandez blasted 49 dingers and edged Witt Jr. out in the finals 14-13.
Witt Jr. is the first Royals’ hitter to appear in the Home Run Derby since Salvador Perez participated in 2021 and had he managed to beat Hernandez he would have been the first-ever Kansas City player to win the competition.
It seems only natural for Mahomes to want to see Witt Jr. do well. The Royals play their home games at Kauffman stadium while Mahomes' Chiefs play at Arrowhead Stadium. Both are located in the Truman Sports Complex in Kansas City, Missouri. And both players have become the face of their franchise in a small market city.
Mahomes nervously watched Royals’ Witt Jr. in the Home Run Derby
Mahomes also grew up around baseball as his father Pat Mahomes pitched for six different MLB teams. The elder Mahomes retired with a 42-39 record, 308 appearances and 709 innings pitched over 11 seasons in the majors.
In addition to being young superstars who represent Kansas City in their respective sports, both men are natives of Texas. Witt Jr. is from Colleyville and Mahomes hails from Tyler, which is just a two-hour drive away.
There’s no indication that Mahomes was aware of that fact. And that might be for the best as he appeared anxious enough without piling the pair’s Lone Star State heritage on top of the Kansas City connection.
Witt Jr. is putting together an excellent season for the Royals. He has 25 doubles, 16 home runs, 63 RBI, 75 runs scored and a MLB-leading 125 hits along with a .558 slugging percentage, an OPS+ of 153 and 5.4 WAR in 97 games.
The 24 year old currently has the fourth best odds to win the American League MVP award this season. However at +2000 he’s a long shot with fellow shortstop Gunnar Henderson (+310) and Yankees Juan Soto (+1800) and Aaron Judge (-310) ahead of him, per rotowire.com. Judge is the presumptive favorite to win his second league MVP in three years.
Mahomes is coming off his third Super Bowl victory with the Chiefs. The 28-year-old phenom has two regular season MVP awards and three Super Bowl MVPs in seven seasons in the NFL.
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