Elliott: Batiste wins HR derby at Area Code Underclassmen Showcase

August 27, 2026

By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

Ontario Blue Jays OF Mikey Batiste had one hit during the Area Code Underclassmen showcase at Blair Field in Long Beach, Calif.

That does not mean the 2028 draft did not make an impression to evaluators.

Batiste (Mississauga, Ont.) won the Rawlings Home Run Derby as his teammates cheered for him.

Batiste hit eight home runs in the final round for a walk-off performance to defeat runner-up Chase Fillman.

Along with winning the championship title, Batiste dominated the event’s stat tracking, recording the highest exit velocity of the derby at 106 mph and the longest tracked home run at 414.7 feet.

Jo Adell, of the Cleveland Guardians, won in 2016, beating the likes of Spencer Torkelson, Trevor Hauver, Shane Baz, Nicholas Storz, Royce Lewis, Mason Martin and Joseph Perez.

Batiste’s father, Mike, a former Toronto Raptors coach, has returned to Greece where he will be an assistant with Panathinaikos. He played there in two stints covering nine seasons, winning in the Greek League nine times (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014).