One of baseball’s most celebrated events will culminate on Monday night.
The annual Home Run Derby, part of the 2024 MLB All-Star Week festivities, is set to take place at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on Monday, just a day before the All-Star Game. Eight of the sport’s premier power hitters — Pete Alonso, Gunnar Henderson, Marcell Ozuna, Bobby Witt Jr., Adolis Garcia, Alec Bohm, Jose Ramirez, and Teoscar Hernandez — will compete for the trophy.
Alonso, the New York Mets first baseman who has previously won the derby twice, aims to match Ken Griffey Jr.’s record for most titles in MLB history (three). Last year, Alonso was bested by the Toronto Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who is not participating this season.
The home run derby rules often evolve, as do other All-Star Week events across professional sports. Here’s an explanation of the 2024 MLB Home Run Derby format:
Home run derby format 2024
The 2024 MLB Home Run Derby has introduced new rules for its All-Star Week event.
Format
This year’s changes are significant, though not as transformative as the 2015 switch from an “outs” system to a timed system. Last year’s derby used a bracket style, with participants seeded 1-8 based on their season home run totals heading into the event. The competition featured 1-on-1 matchups until only two players remained.
In 2024, the bracket-style system will only be used starting in the semifinals, and the first round won’t have predetermined seeds. Instead, all eight participants will compete together in the first round, with the top four performances advancing to the semifinals. Semi-finalists will then be seeded based on their home run totals from the first round.
In case of a tie in the first round, the player with the longest home run of the round will advance.
Time limit
Previously, hitters had an unlimited number of pitches within the time limit. In 2024, hitters will face either 40 pitches or hit for three minutes — whichever is reached first — in both the first and semifinal rounds.
The finals will last two minutes or 27 pitches, whichever comes first.
Bonus period
The bonus period has also been revised. Under the old system, hitters received an automatic extra 30 seconds, with the potential to earn up to 60 seconds if they hit two home runs of 440 feet or more during regulation.
Now, the bonus period is untimed and provides hitters extra pitches. Each hitter receives an unlimited number of pitches until three outs (non-home runs) are recorded. If a batter hits a home run of 425 feet or farther during the bonus period, they receive a fourth out.
The revised bonus period allows hitters to make a late surge and potentially win, regardless of their initial performance.
Other rules remain the same, with each hitter entitled to a 45-second timeout during their turn. In the event of a tie in the semifinal or final, a sudden death, 60-second swing-off will determine the winner.
Home run derby participants 2024
Here are the participants for the 2024 Home Run Derby:
Pete Alonso, New York Mets
Gunnar Henderson, Baltimore Orioles
Adolis Garcia, Texas Rangers
Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals
Jose Ramirez, Cleveland Guardians
Alec Bohm, Philadelphia Phillies
Teoscar Hernandez, Los Angeles Dodgers
Marcell Ozuna, Atlanta Braves
Home run derby winners by year
Here’s the list of past Home Run Derby winners:
Winners of multiple derbies are noted in parentheses