Yoenis Cespedes has struggled in his second season with the Oakland Athletics, yet still got invited to participate in the 2013 Home Run Derby and the selection by New York Yankees second basemen Robinson Cano couldn’t have gone better and more importantly he averaged the longest home runs of any of the participants at 407.9 feet.
During the first round he blasted 17 home runs (third most in derby history in a single round) with 12 going at least 400 feet and the longest 447 feet. He did have to wait around to see who made it into the second round and that was Michael Cuddyer, Chris Davis and Bryce Harper. Cespedes went last and got the necessary home runs to overtake the total by the National League, which allowed for him to go second in the final round against the Washington Nationals young phenom.
Harper got off to a quick started ending up with eight in the round. Cespedes appeared not to get a break as he hit one to dead center that bounced hit about 407 feet, yet the next pitch he hit just cleared the left field wall at 338 feet. He did get to eight home runs with Harper looking nervous and rightfully so as his ninth home run in the final round went 455 feet for the longest home run he hit in the derby.