Vladimir Guerrero Jr. won the 2023 Home Run Derby, eking out a win over Randy Arozarena in a tight battle. Guerrero also earned another distinction on the night, being the only slugger to absolutely deck a kid with a line drive during the event.
Guerrero was spraying missiles all over the park all night, which was dangerous to anyone shagging fly balls in the outfield. One of the kids MLB allowed to be in the field, tried to grab one of Vladdy's liners and took a shot right to the face. He immediately went down in a heap.
Here's video:
Another look:
Use two hands kids!
The broadcast didn't mention the incident and we never got an update on if the kid was OK. Here's hoping he's alright and someone got the poor guy some ice.
I've always been amazed this doesn't happen more often. There are dozens of kids in the outfield every year during the derby attempting to catch balls hit by major leaguers. It's a pretty insane concept.
This article was originally published on thebiglead as Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Nailed a Kid in the Face With a Line Drive During Home Run Derby.
