MLB is expected to change the format of its Home Run Derby again, moving away from the clock-based system used in recent years. Multiple reports say the event will revert to a swing-based approach, rather than timing rounds. The clock format was introduced in 2015 and governed timed portions of the competition, but sources now indicate MLB plans to discontinue it again.
The change is described as part of preparations for the next Home Run Derby cycle leading up to the 2026 event. Separately, The Athletic reports the derby will be televised by Netflix for the first time next month, with the competition taking place at Citizens Bank Park. While the timing of the format change is discussed in connection with upcoming events, all sources agree on the central point: MLB is moving back toward a swing-based format by eliminating the clock.
No source in the provided materials details the full rules of the revised swing-based format beyond the removal of timed control.
