Major League Baseball changed the rules for the Home Run Derby
Speeding up the pace of baseball isn’t just limited to the games.
Major League Baseball is changing the rules and format of the Home Run Derby, hoping for more non-stop action and less sitting and waiting for swings. The league announced the derby event is now an eight-man, bracket-style tournament with head-to-head matchups. The players are seeded 1-8 based on how many home runs they have hit all season to that point.
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Instead of having 10 “outs’’ in each round, competitors have five minutes to hit as many home runs as they can. The clock starts on the first pitch, so gone are the days of watching guys take a ton of pitches in the derby. The incentive is to swing at everything for the first four minutes.
Once the round reaches its final minute, the clock stops with each home run and doesn’t start until the batter swings and a non-HR outcome occurs. So taking pitches and being selective matters after a home run in the final minute.
Bonus time is added to the round if the batter reaches certain distance thresholds. One minute is added for two home runs of 420 feet or more, and 30 seconds is added for a home run of 475 feet or more. One minute and 30 seconds is the maximum amount of bonus time a batter can achieve per round.
The 2015 Home Run Derby is July 13th at the Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.
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