The Home Run Derby is MLB's biggest stage for the game's greatest sluggers to show off their power.

But with the nature of baseball's player development systems, most Derby victors wind up being stars in their late 20s or early 30s who have had years upon years to build the strength, stamina and stardom to shine in the slugging competition. Every once in a while, however, a young hitter comes along and becomes a significant storyline in the Home Run Derby.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Ken Griffey Jr., Bryce Harper and Juan Soto are among the young stars to take on the spectacle of the Derby since it was first introduced in 1985. While there's been a collection of under-25 players to participate in the Derby, only a select few have actually then gone on to win the event.

The two youngest Home Run Derby winners were both 23 years old — an age that may not seem too young in the context of professional sports, but in reality, is around the age of most MLB rookies after they spend years in the minor leagues.

Here's a full breakdown of the youngest players to ever win the Home Run Derby.

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Youngest Home Run Derby champions

The youngest player to ever win the Home Run Derby was the Rangers' Juan Gonzalez back in 1993. Gonzalez, who was 23 years, eight months and 23 days old, took down Ken Griffey Jr. in a playoff to win the event, which was held at Camden Yards in Baltimore. 

However, Gonzalez is only the youngest champion by the smallest of margins. In 2022, a young Juan Soto also won the Home Run Derby at age 23; he was just one day older than Gonzalez when he emerged as the victor in 1993. At 23 years, eight months and 24 days old, Soto is the second-youngest slugger to win the Derby.

MORE: Number of rounds, time limits and other rules and formatting for Home Run Derby

Other young stars, like Ken Griffey Jr. in 1994 and Pete Alonso in 2019, can be found on the list as well. Here's a look at the youngest Home Run Derby champions:

Age	Player	Team	Year	HR total	Notes
23 years, 8 months, 23 days	Juan Gonzalez	Rangers	1993	7	Beat Ken Griffey Jr. in playoff at Camden Yards
23 years, 8 months, 24 days	Juan Soto	Nationals	2022	53	Beat Julio Rodriguez in Finals at Dodger Stadium
24 years, 0 months, 28 days	Darryl Strawberry	Mets	1986	4	Tied with Wally Joyner at the Astrodome
24 years, 4 months, 2 days	Wally Joyner	Angels	1986	4	Tied with Darryl Strawberry at the Astrodome
24 years, 3 months, 25 days	Vladimir Guerrero Jr.	Blue Jays	2023	72	Beat Randy Arozarena in Finals at T-Mobile Park, fifth-most single-Derby HRs
24 years, 7 months, 1 day	Pete Alonso	Mets	2019	57	Beat Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in Finals at Progressive Field, 10th-most single-Derby HRs
24 years, 7 months, 20 days	Ken Griffey Jr.	Mariners	1994	7	Beat Jeff Bagwell at Three Rivers Stadium
25 years, 2 months, 4 days	Prince Fielder	Brewers	2009	23	Beat Nelson Cruz in Finals at Busch Stadium
25 years, 2 months, 14 days	Aaron Judge	Yankees	2017	47	Beat Miguel Sano in Finals at Marlins Park
25 years, 9 months, 0 days	Bryce Harper	Nationals	2018	45	Beat Kyle Schwarber in Finals at Nationals Park

MORE: Why did Ken Griffey Jr. wear his hat backwards during the Home Run Derby?

If you look at the other end of the age spectrum, David Ortiz became the oldest player to win the Home Run Derby, when at 34 years, 7 months and 24 days, he hoisted the trophy back in 2010.

Additionally, the age requirement when looking at youngest Derby participants overall falls even more. In 2019, the Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. became the youngest Home Run Derby contestant ever at 20 years and 114 days old. Before then, Griffey Jr. held the title; he was 20 years and 230 days old at the 1990 Home Run Derby.

MORE: Full list of Home Run Derby winners by year

Juan Gonzalez's 1993 Home Run Derby win

Gonzalez was in his fifth MLB season in 1993, a budding star in Texas after hitting a combined 70 home runs in the two seasons prior. In 1992, Gonzalez's 43 home runs led the league.

So, his inclusion in the 1993 Derby was no surprise. He competed against Ken Griffey Jr., Cecil Fielder, Albert Belle, Barry Bonds, Bobby Bonilla, David Justice and Mike Piazza. With the event being held at Camden Yards, Gonzalez wound up taking down Griffey Jr. in a playoff. 

Although the Derby was still in its early years, Gonzalez became the youngest victor of the event, a record that has held for the decades since.

OTD in 1993, Juan Gonzalez secured the Home Run Derby title. pic.twitter.com/eZhVS3pPXe

— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) July 12, 2022

MORE: The list of Home Run Derby records, from most homers in a round to the whole event

Juan Soto's 2022 Home Run Derby win

Soto became an MLB star at a very young age, playing his 2018 rookie season with the Nationals at age 19. By 2021, he was an All-Star after finishing fifth in NL MVP voting the year prior, and also in 2021, he participated in his first Home Run Derby. If Soto had won that event, he would have become the youngest victor; instead, he fell to Pete Alonso in the second round. 

Soto came back out for the Derby in 2022, one member of a field that included Kyle Schwarber, Albert Pujols, Jose Ramirez, Corey Seager, Julio Rodriguez, Pete Alonso and Ronald Acuna Jr. With one Derby already under his belt, the young Nationals star emerged as the victor at Dodger Stadium, taking down Rodriguez in the Finals. 

Had the Mariners' Rodriguez won, he would have become the youngest Derby winner at age 21, during his rookie campaign. Instead, Soto's 19 homers in the Finals made him the second-youngest Derby winner, just one day older than Juan Gonzalez was.

The moment Juan Soto became the #HRDerby champion 👏 pic.twitter.com/3k2WjPOF9P

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 19, 2022

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Notable performances by young sluggers who didn't win 

While Juan Gonzalez and Juan Soto are the headliners among young Home Run Derby participants, there have been some strong performances by younger players that didn't result in a title.

In 2019, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. took the Derby stage as the youngest participant ever at 20 years and 114 days old. He put on an absolute show, as the son of MLB legend Vladimir Guerrero blasted a total of 91 homers throughout the competition — a record for home runs in a single Derby that still holds as of 2025.

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Guerrero Jr. blasted 29 homers in the first round to beat Matt Chapman, hit another 40 in the semifinals to defeat Joc Pederson, but then lost 23-22 to Pete Alonso in the Finals. He later went on to win the 2023 Derby.

29 homers in the first round for Vlad Guerrero Jr.

That's a #HRDerby record for a single round 💪 pic.twitter.com/hyN1jLp1Ub

— ESPN (@espn) July 9, 2019

Another elite, but non-winning performance, from a young star was Bryce Harper in 2013. Highly regarded as MLB's next big thing at the time, Harper was in his second season in 2013 and was coming off a 2012 campaign in which he was named NL Rookie of the Year and selected as an All-Star. 

Harper, once again an All-Star for the Nationals in 2013, signed up for Home Run Derby duties and nearly became the youngest winner ever, just 20 years old at the time. He blasted a total of 24 homers in the 2013 Home Run Derby; however, he wound up coming just short of Yoenis Cespedes, who beat him 9-8 in the Finals. Harper went on to win the 2018 Derby.

In 2017, a 21-year-old rookie Cody Bellinger joined the Home Run Derby and also put together a strong performance. The young Dodger, who was named an All-Star and won NL Rookie of the Year that season, hit a total of 27 home runs.

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Bellinger, the eventual 2019 NL MVP, wound up losing to Aaron Judge in the semifinals.

Cody Bellinger's first-round home run counter: ⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️
He takes down Charlie Blackmon in a walk-off! pic.twitter.com/4jF160hVr3

— ESPN (@espn) July 11, 2017

Finally, another elite performance by a young star in the Home Run Derby came in 2022. Mariners star Julio Rodriguez, an All-Star in his rookie season and the eventual AL Rookie of the Year, joined the Derby and also nearly became the youngest winner ever.

At 21 years old, Rodriguez blasted 81 home runs over three rounds, which is the third-most single-Derby homers as of 2025. However, he lost to Juan Soto in the Finals.

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