Bryce Harper brought the boom in a home run derby that’s already exploded online.
Harper, the Phillies superstar and two-time National League MVP, participated in a fun offseason moment as he battled social media sensation “Big Justice” in a head-to-head batting competition with a $100,000 prize on the “MrBeast” YouTube channel. The video included one-on-one matchups between non-athletes and sports superstars like Harper, seven-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Tom Brady, Olympic gold medalist and world-champion sprinter Noah Lyles, two-time major-winning golfer Bryson DeChambeau and perhaps the greatest soccer player of all time in Cristiano Ronaldo.
Facing off in a 10-swing, swing-off-style home run derby at First Horizon Park in Nashville, Tenn., the baseball segment of the video was a high-profile showdown. Harper has been one of the most recognizable faces in the sport since he was a teenager, and the 11-year-old Big Justice has emerged as one of the internet’s breakout stars this year.
He and his father, A.J. Befumo, have amassed over 2.4 million followers on their “A.J. & Big Justice” TikTok profile, creating videos with a focus on food reviews using “booms” or “dooms” to rate each item, discussing Costco chicken bakes and “double chunk chocolate cookies” and simply “bringing the boom.” The duo’s song “We Bring the BOOM!” has gone viral as well, with its remix featuring a verse from their frequent collaborator “The Rizzler” reaching over 1.2 million YouTube views.
If that all sounds ridiculous, it’s because it is. But this type of content has blown up online, leading to tons of success and exposure for A.J. and Big Justice. They recently appeared on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and worked a professional wrestling gig with All Elite Wrestling. Their newfound fame also led to Big Justice, a youth player for the Boca Beach Boys team in Boca Raton, Fl., taking on Harper in the home run derby.
Harper brought the boom with four home runs in 10 swings, but ultimately surrendered a doom to Big Justice, who hit five home runs over a 201.5-foot fence used to even the playing field between the two. Harper seemed to be into the fun and absurdity of it all. “Bring that boom, baby!” he yelled to the young right-handed hitter at one point in between swings.
Big Justice launched his fifth home run on his ninth swing to win the prize money — the money would’ve been donated to a charity of Harper’s choosing if he had beaten Big Justice — and the TikTok star fired his bat in celebration. He rounded the bases before being greeted at home plate by A.J., “Momma Justice,” and his sister, Ashley.
The video featuring Harper and the other titanic sports figures took off after it was uploaded on Saturday, quickly becoming the top trending video on YouTube with over 36 million views and counting.
