Major League Baseball

2024 Home Run Derby: What to know about MLB's new format, participants in event

Published Jul. 15, 2024 2:35 p.m. ET

The Home Run Derby has altered its format.

This year's event, which takes place Monday evening at Arlington, Texas, limits the number of pitches each hitter can face in each round and changes the setup of its opening round.

In the first round and the semifinals, each hitter will get either three minutes or 40 pitches, depending on which of those benchmarks gets reached first. In the final round, a hitter will get two minutes or 27 pitches. That doesn't include the bonus periods that hitters will get in each round.

Under the previous format, hitters still faced a time limit but there wasn't any restriction on the number of pitches they could face.

Each hitter will get bonus pitches until they hit into three outs during that period. He gets a fourth out if he hits a homer that goes at least 425 feet in the bonus period. Under the old format, each hitter got an extra 30 seconds of bonus time and could receive another 30 seconds of bonus time if he hit two homers of at least 440 feet during the regulation period.

All eight hitters will be competing against one another in the opening round, with the top four advancing to the semifinals. The semifinalists will be seeded depending on how many homers they hit in the first round.

Under the previous format, the eight hitters essentially competed in a tournament, with one-on-one quarterfinal, semifinal and championship matchups. They were seeded according to their season home-run totals.

The eight players participating in this Home Run Derby are Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson, Texas Rangers outfielder Adolis Garcia, Atlanta Braves designated hitter Marcell Ozuna, Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm, Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernández, Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., Cleveland Guardians third baseman José Ramírez and New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso, a two-time Home Run Derby champion who won the competition in 2019 and 2021.