Home Run Derby 2015 Start Time: TV Schedule, Bracket and More

Major League Baseball gets a bad rap for being out of touch with the younger fan, but the sport deserves credit for understanding how to make its marquee events, like Monday's Home Run Derby, more fun than they have any right to be. 

There's always an intrigue with a specialized event—such as a Home Run Derby or Slam Dunk Contest—because it showcases some of the unique abilities these athletes possess.

Everyone dreams of hitting a baseball 450 feet deep into the night, yet the eight players who will be on the field at Great American Ball Park on Monday night are able to do it with ease. The difference is they will be forced to do it on a deadline with five-minute rounds, though there will be incentive for hitting long homers. 

Here's all the viewing information necessary to prepare for MLB's annual home run-hitting showcase: 

Date	Location	Start Time (ET)	Network	Live Stream
Monday, July 13	Great American Ball Park (Cincinnati, Ohio)	8 p.m.	ESPN	MLB.com

2015 Home Run Derby Bracket (via MLB on Twitter)

New Rules Explained (via MLB Communications)

What to Watch For

With the new format, which favors time and power, there are certain players who could be at a disadvantage. 

For instance, even though he's the No. 1 seed—thanks to being tied for the American League lead with 26 home runs—Albert Pujols is a player who will struggle with only five minutes to show off his power-hitting prowess. 

The previous three times Pujols has competed in the Home Run Derby (2003, 2007, 2009), he has fared well by advancing past the first round each time. However, the three-time NL MVP worked at a deliberate pace, often taking at least one pitch after he would hit one over the fence. 

While that strategy did speak to Pujols' selectivity, it wastes time in an event that is no longer being contested at a leisurely pace. 

However, speaking to the Associated Press' Michael Kelly (via Yahoo Sports), Pujols actually sounds intrigued by the new format.

''If anything it'll be better because you don't have to sit around so much like you did in the past,'' Pujols said. ''If I hit in the first round we had to wait until everybody hit and sometimes you sat an hour and a half, two hours.''

Rhythm and pacing will be much better for the competitors and viewers, but players will have to swing at pitches they may not be able to square up in the final minute if they are trying to play catch up. A hitter like Pujols will be at a disadvantage in that scenario given his history in the event. 

Another thing to keep an eye on is big power. The new rules will allow for extra time to be added for balls that travel at least 420 feet. 

That gives players who have more pop in their bats an advantage, so let's take a look at the most powerful hitters in the derby field:

Player	Average HR Distance (Feet)	Key Stat
Joc Pederson, Los Angeles Dodgers	431	480 ft HR on June 2
Kris Bryant, Chicago Cubs	407	3 HRs of at least 420 ft
Prince Fielder, Texas Rangers	413	7 of 14 HRs in 2015 have gone at least 420 feet
Josh Donaldson, Toronto Blue Jays	408 feet	9 HRs in 2015 have gone at least 420 feet

Among the names on that list, Joc Pederson immediately stands out. The Los Angeles Dodgers rookie has an average home run distance nearly 20 feet better than anyone else in the field. Prince Fielder is No. 2, with his average home run distance being around 413 feet after his 438-foot blast on Friday. 

Pederson also has 13 home runs that have traveled at least 420 feet, a feat only accomplished by Giancarlo Stanton and Mike Trout so far this season. 

Being left-handed also helps Pederson, as well as Fielder and Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo, as RotoGrinders lists Great American Ball Park as the fourth-most favorable stadium in MLB over the previous two years for hitters on that side of the plate (seventh from the bottom for righties).

Hitters like Pederson and Fielder are also happy to swing the bat regardless of where the ball is thrown and have shown they have enough strength to launch a ball in any situation. They are on opposite sides of the bracket and wouldn't meet until the championship round. 

It's hard to find a bad potential matchup given the talent in this field, but Pederson has been mashing all year and should be the favorite when the balls start flying in Cincinnati. 

Stats via ESPN.com unless otherwise noted