In an effort to get people to care about the Home Run Derby, Major League Baseball has once again changed the rules of the All-Star Week staple. This year, the eight competitors will be seeded based on their season to date home runs and inserted into a knockout-style bracket. Instead of a set amount of swings, players will be timed during each round. Players also have the opportunity to receive bonus time based on the distance of tehir home runs.
2015 Gillette HR Derby presented by Head & Shoulders introduces new format, featuring brackets & timed rounds. pic.twitter.com/e3sFa1qxBp
— MLB Communications (@MLB_PR) June 28, 2015
So, in a nutshell….
-Eight players in the bracket, paired against another player in a knockout format with only one advancing.
-Five minutes per round, with the clock running continuously once the first pitch is thrown.
-During the final minute of each round, the timer will be paused after each home run, and won’t run until the batter swings and hits a non-homer.
-A player gets 30 seconds of bonus time if he hits a home run longer 475 feet, one minute of bonus time if he hits two or more homers between 420 and 474 feet, or one minute and 30 seconds of bonus time if he hits two homers of more than 475 feet or one homer between 420 and 474 feet and one homer longer than 475 feet.
-Ties in each round are broken by a continuously timed 90 second swing off with no stoppages or bonus time.
-Batters get one 45 second time out in each round.
Well, you can’t say the new rules aren’t interesting…I’m just not all that sure they’ll draw all that much more interest. It’s the Home Run Derby – you know what you’re getting out of it.
We could also see ourselves land in an embarrassing situation when one player is spraying line drives all over the outfield without homering for five minutes. That could be quite an uncomfortable experience for the player, and a painfully boring experience for the fans watching at home.
