Teoscar Hernandez reveals tips he received from Shohei Ohtani during Home Run Derby

When the Los Angeles Dodgers spent a billion dollars to bolster their roster during the offseason, most of the media attention was focused on the acquisitions of Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Tyler Glasnow.

The Dodgers signed outfielder Teoscar Hernández to a one-year, $23.5 million contract in January. The deal mostly went unnoticed since the spotlight was on Ohtani, but Hernández found himself in a more prominent role in the Dodgers lineup as the first half of the season developed and injuries began to wear down the roster.

Hernández has become a clutch hitter the Dodgers. His 62 RBIs and 28 hits with runners in scoring position are both second-most on the team. Hernández won National League Player of the Week for the week of June 3 after hitting 9-for-25 with four home runs, three doubles, six runs scored, and 10 RBIs during that seven-day span.

Shohei Ohtani's advice helped Teoscar Hernández in Home Run Derby

Hernández, who was named an All-Star for the second time in his nine-year career, was in attendance for the All-Star festivities at Globe Life Field in Arlington on Monday. Before participating in the Home Run Derby on Monday night, the two-time Silver Slugger received some advice from Ohtani.

"[Ohtani] said to hit the ball to left-center, to not pull it, because I had a better chance, because of the way my swing was, to go over there," Hernández recalled. "It's far, but he said, ‘It's better for you.’"

As it turns out, Ohtani may know a thing or two about hitting a baseball. Hernández became the first Dodgers player to win the event in its 40-year history, and 48 of his 49 home runs went to left field or left center.

Hernández continued his clutch performance this season by advancing through each of the first two rounds by just one home run. The 31-year-old finished fourth in the first round with 19 home runs, which helped him advance to the second round alongside Kansas City Royals star Bobby Witt Jr., Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez, and Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm. In the second round, Hernández tied — and then outlasted — Bohm in a swing-off. He completed the upset Derby title with a 14-13 win over Witt in a dramatic final round.

Through 95 games with the Dodgers, Hernández has slashed .261/.327/.475 with a .802 OPS, 19 home runs, and 62 RBIs. He'll look to continue the resurgent season after his six-year tenure with the Seattle Mariners came to an end after the 2023 season.