Mike McDade: Blue Jays' Slugger Wins 2011 Eastern League Home Run Derby

The New Hampshire Fisher Cats not only hosted the 2011 Eastern League All-Star game, but two of their own players dominated the Home Run Derby.

The opening round was futile, as only one of the six players hit more than one home run. However, after meeting in the final round of the contest, Fisher Cats' OF Moises Sierra and 1B Mike McDade put on a show, going blast-for-blast.

Sierra outpaced McDade in the first round, slugging four home runs, but it was McDade that came out on top in the third—or fourth...seriously it took that long to decide a winner—round. Every time McDade would take the lead, Sierra would come right back to tie the contest.

That was until McDade finally blasted a pair of home runs in the final round of three swings. Sierra had to go three-for-three, but he came up short with just one home run, leaving McDade as the 2011 Home Run Derby champion.

Sierra hit several balls that hit the hotel beyond the left-center field fence, and McDade launched balls onto the train tracks deep over the right-field wall. Both players put on a tremendous display of power, absolutely crushing balls that had spectators gushing that they were close to, if not more than 450 feet.

Being named a 2011 Eastern League All-Star, and winning the Home Run Derby, are two more impressive accolades for the Blue Jays' first base prospect. McDade led the Dunedin Blue Jays with 21 home runs, and was selected to represent Toronto in the elite Arizona Fall League, a place many consider a finishing school for some of the game's best prospects.

He has kept on rolling in 2011, leading Double-A New Hampshire with 14 home runs at the All-Star break. A strong second half should have him primed for a shot at Triple-A Las Vegas next year, a complete hitters haven where it will be fun to see what kind of numbers he can put up with that outstanding power.

Other Home Run Derby participants included Erie SeaWolves' 3B Francisco Martinez, Reading Phillies' 1B Matt Rizzotti, and two players from the Harrisburg Senators, OF Archie Gilbert and 1B Tyler Moore.

McDade and Sierra both started for the Eastern Division team. McDade had an RBI double and Sierra had two hits and drove in a run.

When the Blue Jays traded 1B Brett Wallace to the Houston Astros for OF Anthony Gose, it left the team without a bona fide first base prospect. McDade has filled that void nicely, giving the Blue Jays a power-hitting prospect behind current first basemen Adam Lind.