Yoenis Cespedes Wins 2013 Home Run Derby

Oakland A's outfielder Yoenis Cespedes won the 2013 Home Run Derby, held on Monday night at Citi Field in New York.

Cespedes, who hit 32 total home runs, defeated Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper, 9-8, in the final round, to win the event.

The 27-year old Cespedes, who belted a 455-foot home run to clinch the win, became the first player not named to the All-Star team to win the Home Run Derby.

In the first round, Cespedes paced all entrants, with 17 home runs, followed by Chris Davis and Bryce Harper with eight, Michael Cuddyer with seven, Pedro Alvarez with six, Prince Fielder and David Wright with five apiece, and Robinson Cano with four.

That meant that Cespedes, Harper, Davis, and Cuddyer moved to the semifinals, where Cespedes and Harper, both in their second Major League Baseball seasons, advanced to the finals.

Cespedes, who finished second in the 2012 American Rookie of the Year voting a season ago, after hitting a .292, with 23 home runs, and 82 RBI's, is hitting a .225 this season, with 15 homers, and 43 RBI's.

In total home runs, the American League representatives bested the National League representatives, 53-50.

Cespedes becomes only the second right-handed hitter in the last nine years to be crowned champion in the event, and the first since Vladimir Guerrero in 2007.

A representative from an American League team has now won the event in four-consecutive years, as well as six of the last seven.