Training camp represents an opportunity for the Pittsburgh Steelers to bond as a team. That’s a big part of why they continue to go out to Saint Vincent College for camp. One activity Mike Tomlin has the team do to grow closer is compete in a home run derby. It’s a fun exercise that helps players unwind a little bit before the season truly begins. The annual derby took place tonight, and Justin Fields was the winner.
Here are some photos from the event posted by the Steelers’ account on X.
In a post from Tomlin’s Instagram, he congratulates Fields for winning the competition. That’s a particularly impressive feat because he most likely had to beat out fellow quarterback John Rhys Plumlee. Plumlee may not have a defined role on the Steelers team, but in college, he was a tremendous athlete. He played college football and baseball for the University of Mississippi and the University of Central Florida.
It’s unknown if Plumlee did actually compete, but considering all the hats he’s worn for the Steelers so far, this is a competition he should’ve been excited to compete in. He was most likely the favorite assuming Russell Wilson, who played minor league baseball before focusing solely on football, did not take part after dealing with a calf injury for much of camp. Fields is no slouch when it comes to athleticism either and he showed that today.
Last year’s winner was Kenny Pickett, so maybe this isn’t a great omen for Fields’ time with the Steelers. However, if you aren’t superstitious, then it’s just another accolade Fields can add to his list of accomplishments. Beating out a college baseball player in a home run derby would be no joke, although Fields did play baseball in high school. It will be interesting to see if Plumlee did actually compete. Ryan Clark noted on X that quarterbacks seem to win often. Ben Roethlisberger frequently won the derby.
“The fix is in!” Clark wrote.
Fields has received nothing but praise from teammates and coaches since getting traded to Pittsburgh, so it’s likely that no one was too upset with him winning. The Steelers-themed bat he has looks awesome too. We’ll see if Fields can find success with the Steelers this year and earn a new contract from them. If not, then maybe winning the home run derby actually is a curse.
