The Home Run Derby has been a midseason highlight every July since 1985, showcasing the game’s premier sluggers. The event’s format and rules have evolved, but the central goal remains the same: to stage a fan-friendly display of power hitting.
The competition is staged over three rounds, with roughly half of the participants eliminated after each stage. After the opening round the four players with the most home runs advance to a bracket-style second round, and the two winners of that round meet in the final. Ties are settled by home-run distance in round one and by three-swing swing-offs in rounds two and three.
A new rules package for 2026 removes time limits and moves to a fixed number of swings: 20 in round one and 15 in rounds two and three. Under the change, a batter who homers on his final swing continues until he records an out. The updated format also eliminates bonus rounds and timeouts.
The 2026 Derby is scheduled for July 13 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. Participants named for the event are Bryce Harper (Philadelphia Phillies), Kyle Schwarber (Philadelphia Phillies), Jac Caglianone (Kansas City Royals), Junior Caminero (Tampa Bay Rays), Willson Contreras (Boston Red Sox), Munetaka Murakami (Chicago White Sox), Ben Rice (New York Yankees) and Jordan Walker (St. Louis Cardinals).
Ken Griffey Jr. holds the most Home Run Derby titles, winning in 1994, 1998 and 1999, and he also leads all players in appearances, taking part in 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000. Pete Alonso set the single-round record with 35 homers in the first round of the 2021 Derby, while Vladimir Guerrero Jr. owns the single-event mark with 91 home runs in 2019.
Recent champions include Cal Raleigh (2025), Teoscar Hernandez (2024), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (2023), Juan Soto (2022) and Pete Alonso (2021). A complete list of annual winners dates back to the inaugural Derby in 1985. For more MLB updates, check the ESPN hub page for breaking news, scores, standings and schedules, according to ESPN.
