In 2022, Major League Baseball announced the launch of a global baseball tour aimed at attracting a new audience to baseball with a high-energy live event experience.
The new event, called MLB Home Run Derby X, made stops in London, Seoul and Mexico City. It was a new take on the Home Run Derby that takes place every All-Star break, but with a new spin on the old formula.
The event’s first time being held in the U.S. was in 2023 at Dunkin’ Park in Hartford, Connecticut, the home stadium of the Hartford Yard Goats of the Eastern League. There were four teams that competed and each was led by a retired MLB player: Jake Arrieta, Jonny Gomes, Dexter Fowler, and Nick Swisher.
This year, MLB is taking it up a notch with Home Run Derby X set to be on display in four U.S. cities in August and September. Arrieta, Gomes, Fowler, and Swisher are all coming back for another year and will be joined by newcomers Andruw Jones, Ian Desmond, and others.
MLB Home Run Derby X is a 3-on-3 competition built around the same old display of power, but with the added wrinkle of defense playing a role as well. This year, the event has evolved into a co-ed competition and each team will now be led an MLB legend and female player from softball and women’s baseball.
“After participating in Home Run Derby X last year, I can’t wait to get back on the stage and hit some bombs for the fans in these four great baseball cities,” Swisher said. “The energy and excitement at both events last year was amazing and I was so excited to hear MLB is adding additional stops this year. The fans are going to love it!”
In this new version of the derby, each player gets one at bat of two minutes thirty seconds. During an at bat the opposing team is in the outfield to attempt to catch the balls being hit. Teams earn offensive points for home runs, same as before, and defensive points for catches.
The new event received rave reviews from those who took part in it last year and the buzz it generated piqued the interest of the newcomers.
“After seeing the video of last year’s events and hearing what a great time the players had last year, I was very excited to be asked to be part of Home Run Derby X this year,” said Jones. “The fans won’t want to miss this cool version of baseball, and I can’t wait to swing for the fences.”
Dodgers in the MLB Home Run Derby X
Adrián González has been the only former member of the Dodgers to participate in this new event back in 2022. He helped the team representing the Dodgers to a second place finish in the table with nine points after a first, second, and third place finish across the three legs of the event.
González and the Dodgers representative team finished two points behind Boston Red Sox representative, the eventual winners of the event.
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