The Upper Deck — College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects

Welcome to The Upper Deck, Baseball America’s daily look at the biggest stories around the game and some lighter fare.

HOME RUN DERBY EDITION!

Monday’s Home Run derby was truly an awesome contest to behold. There was everything you could possibly want from a sporting event: gigantic comebacks, mammoth blasts, and young stars battling it out for the top prize. Simply put, this was an 80-grade derby.

All 15.7 miles of HRs… What a great derby! Congrats to @TheJudge44 pic.twitter.com/wLxCkDPXvo

— Daren Willman (@darenw) July 11, 2017

Sentence: Guilty

Aaron Judge absolutely unleashed on this ball, sending it a whopping 501 feet over the giant Marlin and into the great beyond. Congratulations to Judge, who won it all. I’m sure everyone is looking forward to the next decade of moonshots.

.@TheJudge44‘s 501-foot blast in Round One. pic.twitter.com/Pcch7P7SPg

— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) July 11, 2017

King Me

Gary Sanchez burst out of the gates in the opening round, knocking off defending champion Giancarlo Stanton 17-16. You could watch these bombs all day long.

.@ElGarySanchez upset @Giancarlo818 in Round One pic.twitter.com/GgzlqsmlQp

— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) July 11, 2017

Dollars to Donuts

Justin Bour needed a little refueling after his 22-home run barrage on Marlins Park. Stanton knew exactly what was needed and helped his teammate out with a quick bite. Alas, it wasn’t enough as Bour’s incredible feat proved to be a small hurdle for Aaron Judge.

😂😂Giancarlo Stanton gave Justin Bour a donut #HRDerby pic.twitter.com/KoiZInH8zm

— The Fanatics View (@thefanaticsview) July 11, 2017

The Rival Rookie

Judge might draw all the attention for his gigantic swats, but Bellinger was out there knocking back baseball after baseball. He ultimately fell, but that sweet lefthanded swing is always dangerous. Don’t look now but Bellinger’s 30 home runs this season across Triple-A Oklahoma City and Los Angeles tie Judge’s total.

.@Cody_Bellinger knows #MagentaMoments are perfect for #walkoff homers in the @TMobile #HRDerby. pic.twitter.com/wHB7cFzrqW

— MLB (@MLB) July 11, 2017

Happenings at Baseball America

Louisville’s Dan McDonnell was named Coach of the Year by Baseball America. The 2017 18U National Team Trials roster was also announced Monday morning, spurring Carlos Collazo to imagine what the final roster could look like. Kyle Glaser went around Miami asking players about the new All-Star Game’s format, and they had a lot to say. Baseball’s making its way across the pond, as ‘MLB Battlegrounds’ is proving. Two players’ stocks are changing. Find out what’s going on with Brent Honeywell and Eloy Jimenez.