Multiple reports explain that MLB will change the Home Run Derby format beginning in 2026. The league is removing the timed clock from the competition, ending the element that previously limited hitters’ time during rounds. The change is part of a broader effort to update how the event is staged and judged, while still keeping the contest’s core structure centered on each player trying to hit the most home runs.
The reports indicate that the 2026 Derby will also include other format elements designed to bring aspects of past Home Run Derbies back into the competition. While the overall goal remains unchanged—determining a winner through home-run totals—MLB’s adjustments for 2026 alter how hitters manage their at-bats across the event.
The detailed rules are framed as a “new look” for the Derby, and the updated structure will take effect in the 2026 competition at Citizens Bank Park. Further specifics beyond the timed-clock removal are described as incorporating familiar features from earlier years, as MLB moves to refresh the event’s format.
