Amid a sea of sluggers at Monday’s Home Run Derby at Denver’s Coors Field, Orioles star Trey Mancini’s return from cancer this season took its place on baseball’s grandest stage — and Mancini showed his inclusion wasn’t just a ceremonial one.
The Orioles star, who is playing this year after missing all of 2020 battling stage 3 colon cancer, led off the event in his first-round matchup with Oakland Athletics’ Matt Olsen in impressive fashion.
Mancini had two home runs a minute in and couldn’t find his swing, but called a timeout and got a Gatorade and a pep talk from teammate Cedric Mullins before going on a tear to end the three-minute regulation round with 19 home runs.