The general public has grown tired of the format of standard format of baseball’s Home Run Derby.
So this year, they decided to change things up in a pretty dramatic fashion leaving many to say they’ll actually watch it this year.
The New Home Run Derby Bracket Format
In the new format, the ten players participating get 7 outs per round, with bracketed play after the first round. One player in each league is granted a bye to the 3rd round (semifinals) if they hit the most homeruns in the first round.
Winners from each bracket face off against each other until one man from each league is left standing to battle for the right to be crowed the Home Run Derby champ.
Below is the lineup of players that will participate this year. And if you look closely, you’ll see last year’s winner in Yoenis Cespedes who will attempt a run at back-to-back titles.
How Each Round Will Work
Round 1
-Ten participants total; five participants representing each league.
-Batting order will be determined prior to the event. Hitter No. 1 for the NL will hit first followed by Hitter No. 1 for the AL (home team). This order will continue for hitters Nos. 2-5 for each league, with the NL going first followed by the AL.
-Each participant will receive seven outs.
-The player from each league who hits the most home runs (AL 1; NL 1) will automatically advance to round three (semifinals).
-The next two participants with the most home runs from each league (AL 2; AL 3 / NL 2; NL 3) advance to Round 2.
Round 2
-The two participants advancing from Round 1 for each league will compete against each other (AL 2 vs. AL 3 / NL 2 vs. NL 3).
-The NL matchup will occur first, followed by the AL matchup, with NL 2 and AL 2 choosing if they want to hit first or second.
-Each participant will receive seven outs.
-The winners from the Round 2 matchups (one from each league) will advance to Round 3 (semifinals).
Round 3 (Semifinals)
-The top seed from each league (AL 1; NL 1) will face the winner from his league’s Round 2 matchup.
-The NL matchup will occur first, followed by the AL matchup, with NL 1 and AL 1 choosing if they want to hit first or second.
-Each participant will receive seven outs.
-The participant from each league with the most home runs will advance to the Finals.
Round 4 (Finals)
-The semifinal winners (one player from each league) will compete for the crown of Home Run Derby champion.
-The batting order will be determined by a coin flip, which will be held at a meeting at home plate between the two finalists and their league captains (note that a finalist and team captain could be the same participant).
-Each finalist will receive seven outs.
Tiebreaker(s)
-If two or more players are tied for advancement into the next round or for the championship, each player will receive three swings to hit as many home runs as possible. If they are still tied after three swings, they will each take one swing. This process is repeated if necessary until one player wins the swing-off.
What do you think of the new format? Will it make you tune in?
The 2014 MLB Home Run Derby airs Monday July 14th at 8pm on ESPN.
