Major League Baseball is reportedly set to make another significant change to the Home Run Derby.
According to Evan Drellich of Johnny Flores Jr. of The Athletic, the 2026 event will be ditching the clock and moving back to a swing-based system.
The competitors will receive 20 swings in the first round, and 15 in both of the final two rounds. In an added wrinkle, hitters will be able to continue to swing if they homer on the final hack they take each round, until they make an out.
Ties, depending on the round, will be settled by the longest home run or three extra swings for each competitor.
In the first round, ties would be broken by whoever hit a longer home run. In the second and third rounds, a tie would be broken by three extra swings apiece.
This is going to be the first Home Run Derby without a clock since 2014. While a timer helped improve the pace of play, participants had noted they would tire themselves out while trying to take as many swings as possible within the clock.
Additionally, the Home Run Derby with a clock wasn’t the greatest viewing experience for fans as the camera would often cut back to the hitter before the previous ball landed.
Aside from the removal of the clock, the general format remains the same. Four players will advance to the second round and be seeded by the number of home runs they hit in the first round. The two players who come out of that will then advance to the final round.
Seattle Mariners slugger Cal Raleigh won last year’s competition after defeating the Tampa Bay Rays’ Junior Caminero at Truist Park. The last Los Angeles Dodgers player to participate was Teoscar Hernández, who won the 2024 Home Run Derby.
2026 Home Run Derby details
The 2026 Home Run Derby is taking place on Monday, July 13, at Citizens Bank Park. It is being broadcast on Netflix for the first time as part of MLB’s new media rights deals.
The eight competitors for this year’s event will be announced in the weeks ahead. Given that the Philadelphia Phillies are the host team, it wouldn’t be surprising if Kyle Schwarber and/or Bryce Harper decide to participate.
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