New Rules for MLB Home Run Derby Explained Ahead of 2026 All-Star Showcase

The format of the 2026 Home Run Derby features multiple changes compared to past years.

According to Chad Jennings of The Athletic, there will be no more clock or bonus rounds during the event. Each player will get 20 swings in the first round before receiving 15 in the next two rounds.

A participant who records a home run on his final swing can keep going until he fails to homer, per Jennings. The longest home run is the first-round tie-breaker, while a three-swing swing-off is the tie-breaker in the second and third rounds.

The eight competitors will be part of a single pool in the first round before the players with the top four home run totals advance to the semifinals. Then, they'll be seeded based on their first-round totals in a head-to-head competition for the final two rounds.

The Home Run Derby previously used a timer from 2015-25.

MLB executive vice president of baseball operations Morgan Sword explained why the rule changes were implemented.

"The idea is to slow the pace down a little bit, simplify the rules a little bit," Sword said, per Jennings.

"It was hard as a viewer to follow along with what was going on," he added.

While the updated format may result in decreased home run totals, it should also be easier for players to avoid fatigue factoring into their performances beyond the first round.

This year's Home Run Derby field features several notable participants including Bryce Harper, Ben Rice and Munetaka Murakami. Kyle Schwarber, who leads all MLB players with 32 homers this season, is also competing.

The 2026 Home Run Derby begins on Monday at 8 p.m. ET.