Major League Baseball’s premier power hitters are set to compete in the annual Home Run Derby at Truist Park in Atlanta. The highly anticipated event will air nationally on ESPN at 7:00 p.m. CT.
While the Milwaukee Brewers have no participants in this year’s competition, the franchise boasts a memorable history in the slugfest. Between 1996 and 2018, a Brewer competed in 12 of the 23 Derbies held. Notable multi-time participants include Prince Fielder, with three appearances, and Richie Sexson, with two. The team’s most recent competitor was Jesús Aguilar in 2018; Christian Yelich was slated to participate in 2019 but withdrew due to a back injury.
Over the years, Brewers players have delivered both legendary and forgettable performances. Here’s a look back at the best and worst Home Run Derby outings in franchise history.
### Best Performance: Prince Fielder, 2009
At Busch Stadium, home of the rival St. Louis Cardinals, Prince Fielder became the first and only Brewer to win the Home Run Derby. In a field that included stars like Albert Pujols, Ryan Howard, and Nelson Cruz, Fielder’s consistent power display earned him the title.
His victory, sealed with six home runs in the final round against Cruz, was highlighted by a colossal 503-foot blast. The 2009 win was Fielder’s second Derby appearance; his first, in 2007, made him and his father, Cecil, the first father-son duo to compete in the event. While Cecil never won in his three appearances, Prince would go on to win a second Derby in 2012 as a member of the Detroit Tigers. Fielder’s 2009 triumph remains the benchmark for any Brewer in the competition.
### Worst Performance: Greg Vaughn, 1996
The nightmare scenario for any Derby participant—failing to hit a single home run—became a reality for Brewers outfielder Greg Vaughn in 1996.
Vaughn was a formidable power hitter, averaging over 20 home runs per season during his tenure with Milwaukee from 1989 to 1996. However, on that July night at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, he was unable to send a ball over the fence.
To be fair, the event’s former “outs” format made zero-homer rounds more common; Hall of Famer Gary Sheffield also failed to hit a home run in the same contest. Despite the disappointing result, Vaughn made franchise history as the very first Brewer to ever participate in the Home Run Derby. His name has seen a recent resurgence among fans, who are calling for the return of the “Vaughn’s Valley” banner to honor new acquisition Andrew Vaughn.
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