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The Home Run Derby is always a lot of fun in theory, but it just goes on and on and on, and Chris Berman keeps catchphrasing all over the place. When will the torture end? So, MLB has once again changed the rules for the Derby, in the hopes of making it a speedier, more exciting event. Gone are the outs that have been used to count the remaining swings for a batter, as the Derby will now run on a timer.
Each of the eight participants will get five minutes to hit as many dingers as they can. No more long waits in between swings, no more sitting and watching a bunch of balls go by -- players will be encouraged to just let it rip on each opportunity and hope it goes over the wall, the only punishment around the ticking of the clock. They can stop the clock in the final minute by hitting a homer -- it’ll start again with the next pitch -- and earn a bonus minute by hitting a pair of homers 420 feet in their turn, and an extra 30 seconds for a 475-foot bomb.
If there are ties, there will then be a 90-second swing-off, so yeah, we should all be rooting for ties. Each round will also be head-to-head in a bracket, with the round ending once the second batter surpasses their opponent for that round in dingers. It sounds like it will be a faster, more action-packed and tense experience than before, which is exactly the kind of change the Derby needed. Is further change needed, or are y’all happy with this format?
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