For the first time in over a decade, the Home Run Derby is changing formats.
Major League Baseball will ditch the timed setup it's used since 2015 and bring back limited swings for each participant at this year's event in Philadelphia, sources told Evan Drellich of The Athletic.
Sluggers will reportedly be allowed to take 20 swings in the first round and 15 in the second round and final while trying to hit as many homers as possible.
Hitters will apparently also be allowed to keep going if they homer on their final swing of the round. Should that situation occur, the hitter can continue swinging until they fail to hit one out.
Any ties in the first round will be broken by the longest home run. Ties in the second round and final will result in three extra swings for each participant.
It's a drastic change from the timed system, which was introduced in 2015 to speed up the Home Run Derby and spice up the event amid declining ratings. The most recent version of the format - three minutes or 40 pitches in the first round; two minutes or 27 pitches in the second round and final - was generally well-received by fans.
However, players found it taxing as they tried to take as many swings as possible before their time expired. That was a major reason they wanted MLB to change the format, according to Drellich.
As in past years, the derby field will consist of eight sluggers. The top four hitters from Round 1 will advance to the semis, where they'll face off in a head-to-head bracket format - the No. 1 seed vs. No. 4, and No. 2 against No. 3 - for a trip to the finals.
Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh is the defending Home Run Derby champion. MLB has yet to announce any participants for this year's event.
The 2026 Home Run Derby will take place July 13 at 8 p.m. ET at Citizens Bank Park and will be televised on Netflix.
