By Mark Gregory
Editorial Director
@Hear_The_Beard
mark@buglemewspapers.com
The Major League Baseball home run derby saw record-setting performances this season from the Dodgers’ Joc Pederson and Blue Jay Vladimir Guerrero Jr., but locally, it was another slugger that got to hit in prime time.
Plainfield’s Logan Huegel, an 11-year-old student from Heritage Grove, took place in the finals of the MLB MLB Jr. Home Run Derby Saturday, July 6 at Progressive Field in Cleveland. He competed in the 12u age group.
“We got to hit on the field and that was just awesome,” said Huegel, a catcher and No. 3 hitter for the Naperville Renegades. “It was great to walk around and see the field.”
Plainfield 11-year-old Logan Huegel competed in the MLB Jr. Home Run Derby at Progressive Field in Cleveland. (Submitted Photo)
The competitors knew they would meet some of MLB’s top stars, but Huegel said he was able to meet the game’s top player, Angles outfielder Mike Trout.
“It was awesome to ask him some questions and it was great to meet him. He was a nice guy,” Huegel said.
Huegel placed sixth out of the 10 hitters in the derby at the 225-foot fences.
“I think I did pretty good,” he said. “There were some big hitters out there.”
It wasn’t only meeting MLB greats that Huegel enjoyed.
“It was really cool meeting other kids and their families from around the country.”
After he hit, Huegel was able to attend the MLB Home Run Derby, the MLB Futures Game and the celebrity softball game.
“It was amazing to watch (the Home Run Derby). There were just towering home runs,” Huegel said. “For half of it, we were in the stands and then they took us down next to the dugout to watch from the sidelines.”
Forty-four hitters ages 7-14 from around the United States and Canada competed during MLB All-Star Week.
The fourth annual MLB Jr. Home Run Derby National Finals featured 20 young sluggers advanced from more than 1,800 local competitions across the U.S. and Canada.
To qualify for the finals, Huegel had to win in Illinois first.
“Me and my dad were watching a Cubs game and we say a commercial for it and he signed me up,” Huegel said. “I went through two rounds and I won them both and got to go to Cleveland. That was a good experience and a lot of fun to win those.”
Huegel said he plans on trying to advance to the finals again next season.