MLB Announces Home Run Derby X Format, Dates Featuring Former Players on World Tour

Major League Baseball announced a new global touring brand called MLB Home Run Derby X on Wednesday.

MLB noted that it will hold a Home Run Derby X event in London on July 9, Seoul on Sept. 17 and Mexico City on Oct. 15. The London event will take place at Crystal Palace Park with venues yet to be announced for Seoul and Mexico City.

Also, MLB announced some of the rules for Home Run Derby X, which will feature four teams playing in a bracket format on fields of reduced sizes.

The teams will feature four players each with each of those players having a 25-pitch at-bat during a game. Two fielders will be present for each at-bat, and points can be scored via home runs, catches, hitting targets and hitting home runs on hot streak balls for a bonus.

Chris Bengel of CBS Sports added that hitters will take their at-bats on a stage and pitchers will throw from a podium.

The teams will represent MLB's four oldest franchises—the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs—and each team will be made up of one former MLB player, one female baseball or softball star, one player from the men's development system and one wild card who is a content creator.

The former MLB players set to take part in Home Run Derby X are former Yankees outfielder Nick Swisher, former Red Sox outfielder Jonny Gomes, former Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and former Cubs catcher Geovany Soto.

MLB's press release said the following regarding the rationale and mission behind Home Run Derby X:

"Inspired by the success and simplicity of the Home Run Derby the day before the MLB All-Star Game, Home Run Derby X has been developed with the goal of attracting a new audience to baseball; creating high-energy live event experiences and opportunities for digital storytelling."

The Home Run Derby has long been one of the most popular annual traditions in Major League Baseball, although it has been confined to the MLB All-Star Game festivities.

Many legendary Home Run Derby performances are still talked about to this day, including Josh Hamilton in 2008, Mark McGwire in 1999 and Bryce Harper winning at home in 2018.

MLB is also coming off the high of a highly entertaining and tightly contested 2021 Home Run Derby, which saw New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso defeat Baltimore Orioles first baseman Trey Mancini 23-22 in the final round at Coors Field in Denver.

Now, MLB is looking to take the thrill of the Home Run Derby to major cities across the world, although Home Run Derby X will have a decidedly different feel from the traditional competition.