Major League Baseball has announced updated rules and a new format for the Home Run Derby, which will begin this summer.
The league announced Sunday that attendees will be able to watch up to 40 pitches in a three-minute period during the first round and semifinals.
This is followed by three bonus outs, and the player continues hitting until they get three more outs.
If you hit a home run of 425 feet or more during bonus time, you will earn a fourth bonus out.
The same rules will apply in the finals, but with a maximum of 27 pitches per finalist over two minutes.
Gone are the days of eight-player tournaments.
In the first round, all eight contestants will play in order, with the top four players in terms of combined scores advancing to the positions seeded one through four.
Ties will be broken based on the longest home run each player has hit in that round.
In the semifinals, the No. 1 seed will face the No. 4 seed and the No. 2 seed will face the No. 3 seed.
Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson is the first known player in this field.
Henderson announced his intention to play during an in-game interview on “Sunday Night Baseball” when his Orioles faced the Texas Rangers.
The Home Run Derby will be held in Arlington, Texas on July 15, the day before the All-Star Game. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays is the defending champion.
