Dylan Ribott
Sophomore NC State infielder Chris McHugh stands on stage with fellow MLB Home Run Derby X champions Ali Newland and Ryan Zimmerman at Durham Bulls Athletic Park on Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025. Home Run Derby X is a new 3-on-3 co-ed competition featuring power hitting and athletic catching. Each event features four teams with each team led by an MLB legend.
The college baseball season ended three months ago, but junior first baseman Chris McHugh is still making headlines.
Last Saturday, he broke the individual record for points and earned the MVP award at MLB’s second Home Run Derby X at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
McHugh topped the podium with NC State softball graduate manager Ali Newland and 17-year major leaguer Ryan Zimmerman. The cherry on top — he bested UNC’s Gavin Gallaher in the final round to give his team the victory.
The Wolfpack star went back-to-back, having also won the event in 2024 alongside MLB legend Manny Ramirez and softball star Amanda Lorenz.
In the first round, McHugh and the ‘Nationals’ faced the ‘Red Sox’ and former teammate Ramirez. But to the dismay of the crowd, the ‘Nationals’ sent Ramirez packing after McHugh set an individual points record, putting up 37 with 22 homers.
“I hate him,” Ramirez jokingly said after being eliminated. “He’s supposed to be on my team.”
In his first season with the Wolfpack, McHugh averaged .365 at the plate, a strong eighth in the ACC. But he didn’t have the gusto you’d expect from a home run derby champion. With seven home runs, McHugh exemplified a powerfully controlled approach — he took what he could get from pitchers and became the most consistent hitter for the Pack.
Advantageously for McHugh, the Home Run Derby X is not a normal contest. The pitcher is throwing meatballs down the middle. Also, the Durham Bulls Athletic Park was not in its normal configuration. A stage was set up past the pitcher’s mound, with the field of play extending from the right field foul pole to a temporary foul pole in center field. The center field fence sat 320 feet away, with the corners at 300 feet — much shorter than the 400 foot center field fence at Doak Field. Not to mention, the balls were definitely juiced.
There were two-point multipliers in play. The first was for home runs through the centerfield target zone, which occupied the middle third of fair territory. For the second, players got one five-swing hot streak with flashy orange balls — both awarded double points, and were stackable.
With his controlled and consistent approach, he collected 18 bonus points just by hitting balls up the middle.
McHugh also took advantage of another format quirk — being able to run down fly balls in the outfield to score points and punish misses by the offense. Every catch in the outfield added a point for the defense.
Since he played first base all season, the derby was the first chance for Wolfpack fans to watch him run down a fly ball in 2025. But in 2026, that chance might come five months sooner.
“There’s definitely a possibility,” McHugh said when asked if he will play the outfield next season. “But I’m gonna need some work out there… Well let me tell you, that was a tough sky tonight. There were some balls where I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m gonna need to get more comfortable’. I’m definitely gonna be working on it all fall.”
Even with a blurry twilight sky, McHugh made a few athletic grabs that suggested he’d do just fine out there in the spring.
In the final, the ‘Nationals’ faced the ‘Braves,’ featuring former big leaguer Andruw Jones, softballer Alex Hugo and Gallaher. With the college guys batting last, the contest quickly turned red and baby blue.
McHugh posted 30 points in his final round with 18 homers, building a big enough lead to outlast the efforts of Gallaher.
“Honestly, that’s the best I’ve ever felt swinging the bat,” McHugh said. “I had two home runs to start off, and everything from there was momentum.”
When asked about an MLB player comparison for McHugh, teammate Zimmerman was frank.
“He’s a big boy,” Zimmerman said. “Someone with a lot of power.”
Along with the contest in Durham, there are five other locations hosting the HRDX this fall. Each of the six teams that win their region get a bid to Salt Lake City for ‘Finals Weekend’ Sep. 19-20, so the ‘Nationals’ will have a chance to secure another trophy. The ‘Nationals,’ having already qualified for Salt Lake with former big leaguer Ian Desmond in Atlanta, will likely see McHugh wearing a different jersey for ‘Finals Weekend.’
Either way, whoever gets to call McHugh their teammate in Salt Lake will certainly be a contender.