Dermis Dominates Derby

Entering the Florida State League All-Star break, Tampa Tarpons 1B Dermis Garcia paced the circuit with 14 first-half home runs, making the slugger a favorite to win the Home Run Derby.
Garcia did not disappoint, smashing a total of 25 homers in the three-round competition to win the crown over five other participants. It was the 21-year-old's first time ever winning a home run derby.
"I knew that he was probably going to win before he even stepped up to the plate," said Garcia's teammate and fellow all-star, OF Isiah Gilliam . "He's a competitor at everything he does, whether it's out on the field or the ping-pong table."
Garcia was humbled by getting the chance to compete in the derby after being named an FSL Mid-Season All-Star - his first-career all-star selection.
"(It was) something I had never done before. So, I was enjoying it," said Garcia through an interpreter. "I feel really grateful. It (was) my first time doing it. I was very happy."
Each Home Run Derby competitor had three minutes-per-round to hit as many home runs as they could. The players were also allowed to take one 30-second timeout in each round.
Garcia tied Fort Myers' Ryan Jeffers with six homers to lead the opening round. Bradenton's Dylan Busby and Palm Beach's Julio Rodriguez hit three apiece to also advance. Lakeland's Brady Policelli and Charlotte's Jim Haley were both eliminated after hitting only two each.
Knowing that the competition was three rounds long, Garcia wisely took a conservative approach. "At the first round, I couldn't give everything. I had to save something for the final. In the last round, I gave it my all."
Garcia turned it up a notch with seven homers in round two. Jeffers and Rodriguez each hit five, knocking out Busby who only managed two. Jeffers and Rodriguez entered a tiebreaker.
The tie-breaker allowed players to take five swings. Jeffers and Rodriguez remained tied after two tie-breakers, each hitting two in the first and one in the second. Prior to a third tie-breaker, Rodriguez withdrew from the competition due to a blister.
In the final round, Garcia emptied the tank, mashing a dozen more dingers to defeat Jeffers, 12-2, and win the trophy. Several of Garcia's blasts even landed on a second-floor balcony beyond the left field wall at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.
Soon after, the FSL All-Star Game was played, with the South Division defeating the North Division, 2-0. Six South pitchers combined to hold the North side hitless until Garcia lined a one-out single to left off Fort Myers' RHP Johan Quezada in the seventh.
Tampa's Jason Lopez started at catcher and drew a walk in six innings. Gilliam singled in the ninth while playing all nine innings as the right-fielder. Tarpons' RHP Braden Bristo pitched in relief, allowing a home run before getting a strikeout to end the second.
"It was really, really fun," said Garcia about playing the game with three fellow Tarpons. "My teammates, we are coming from rookie-ball growing up together, so it was really fun."