2016 Caribbean Series Home Run Derby Results: Winner, Highlights and Reaction

After some last-minute tinkering to the lineup, the 2016 Caribbean Series Home Run Derby took place on Wednesday night with Venezuelan star Felix Perez taking home the crown over Neftali Soto in the finals.

The event was originally supposed to feature Major League Baseball stars Miguel Cabrera, David Ortiz and Robinson Cano, but Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com reported event promoters never asked permission from MLB teams to have those players participate and had to sit them for "insurance reasons."

While not as heavy on star power, the inaugural Caribbean Series Home Run Derby did showcase Perez, a potential Hall of Famer in Vladimir Guerrero, former Cincinnati Reds infielder Neftali Soto and former Arizona Diamondbacks third-round draft pick Cyle Hankerd.   

Here are full results from this year's Caribbean Series home run exhibition:

Position	Player	Total HR
Winner	Felix Perez	10 (8 in 1st round)
Runner-Up	Neftali Soto	5 (4 in 1st round)
Third	Vladimir Guerrero	3
Fourth	Cyle Hankerd	1

Perez dazzled during his first round at bat with eight bombs on 23 swings. Here's what one of his massive shots looked like from field-level, per Serie del Caribe 16:

"

Félix Pérez fue el ganador del #HomeRunDerby. pic.twitter.com/ZYEkQjywQU

— Serie del Caribe 16 (@Serie2016) February 4, 2016"

The lineup featured additional tweaks prior to the first pitch, as the event's official Twitter account announced that Cuba's Alfredo Despaigne was forced to withdraw because of a shoulder issue. All of these changes opened the door for a sleeper candidate like Perez to walk right through it. 

The 31-year-old left-hander has never been a prodigious home run hitter, at least until 2015, when he hit 26 total home runs in 134 games for Monterrey and Caracas. It was his first season with more than 12 homers since turning pro in 2005. 

No one else in the field came close to matching Perez's power. Soto came in second during the opening round with four homers in 28 swings, but he only notched one in the finals. Perez got his two blasts in the finals to secure the victory. 

Guerrero was the headliner, making his first appearance in an organized baseball event since playing in the Dominican Professional Baseball League in 2012. The former American League MVP looked to be in fine shape based on these pictures from Sanchez on Twitter:

The 40-year-old also stepped up to the plate as he did in 16 MLB seasons, with no batting gloves to protect his hands. Guerrero proceeded to blast three home runs, finishing one short of tying Soto for the right to challenge Perez in the finals. 

Even though there were some problems getting the event off the ground due to understandable reasons by MLB clubs, the Caribbean Series' first-ever Home Run Derby turned into a good event. It had to be executed quickly because it came in between games, but there were no hitches when things happened. 

Perez earned the right to brag about having beaten Guerrero, one of MLB's most dynamic players in his prime, in a hitting competition.