Since its introduction in 1985, only 13 former collegiate stars have gone on to win first place in the MLB Home Run Derby. The most recent was Florida’s Pete Alonso, who clinched the 2021 event at Coors Field, Denver, with the New York Mets. This victory marked his second consecutive win, making him the first former college baseball player to achieve this feat. Alonso’s first win was in 2019 at Progressive Field in Cleveland.
Before Alonso, only Ken Griffey Jr. (1998-99) and Yoenis Cespedes (2013-14) had defended their Home Run Derby titles successfully.
Here is a look back at former college baseball players who have won the Home Run Derby:
1986: Wally Joyner* (California Angels), BYU (1981-83), 204 MLB home runs, 43 NCAA home runs.
1987: Andre Dawson (Chicago Cubs), Florida A&M (1973-75), 438 MLB home runs.
1992: Mark McGwire (Oakland Athletics), USC (1982-84), 583 MLB home runs, 53 NCAA home runs.
1995: Frank Thomas (Chicago White Sox), Auburn (1987-89), 521 MLB home runs, 49 NCAA home runs.
1996: Barry Bonds (San Francisco Giants), Arizona State (1983-85), 762 MLB home runs, 45 NCAA home runs.
1997: Tino Martinez (New York Yankees), Tampa (1986-88), 339 MLB home runs, 54 NCAA home runs.
2001: Luis Gonzalez (Arizona Diamondbacks), South Alabama (1987-88), 354 MLB home runs, 23 NCAA home runs.
2002: Jason Giambi (New York Yankees), Long Beach State (1990-92), 440 MLB home runs.
2006: Ryan Howard (Philadelphia Phillies), Missouri State (1998-01), 382 MLB home runs, 50 NCAA home runs.
2015: Todd Frazier (Cincinnati Reds), Rutgers (2005-07), 218 MLB home runs, 42 NCAA home runs.
2017: Aaron Judge (New York Yankees), Fresno State (2011-13), 239 MLB home runs, 18 NCAA home runs.
2018: Bryce Harper (Washington Nationals), College of Southern Nevada (NJCAA) (2010), 288 MLB home runs, 31 NCAA home runs.
2019, 2021: Pete Alonso (New York Mets), Florida (2014-16), 172 MLB home runs, 23 NCAA home runs.
These winners come from nine different NCAA conferences and two divisions, with Andre Dawson representing Division II’s Florida A&M. Additionally, Bryce Harper is a product of junior college. The Pac-12 (McGwire, Bonds) and the SEC (Thomas, Alonso) are the only conferences with more than one representative among the winners.