<img alt="MLB: Atlanta Braves at San Diego Padres" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/jEqCvAKNYwoJjgC65cvQgRGP8SY=/0x1:4556x3038/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73462833/usa_today_23732996.0.jpg">
Marcell Ozuna looks to bring home the HR Derby crown | Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
Eight players look to take home the Home Run Derby crown, including Marcell Ozuna of the Atlanta Braves Tonight, eight sluggers will be competing for the 2024 Home Run Derby crown. This list includes Marcell Ozuna of the Atlanta Braves. The Braves have never had a contestant win the Derby, so Ozuna is looking to be the first.
The Competitors
The list of player competing tonight are as follows: two-time champion Pete Alonso, Hometown representative Adolis Garcia, AL MVP contender Gunnar Henderson, Phillies’ rising star Alec Bohm, Dodgers’ surprising slugger Teoscer Hernandez, perennial All-Star Jose Ramirez, rising superstar Bobby Witt Jr., and the Braves’ best hitter this season Marcell Ozuna.
Rule Changes
If you found yourself wondering why you were not seeing how the players were seeded, and who they would match up against first, you were not the only one. One of the major changes to the rules this year is that in the first round, there are no brackets or seeds. The brackets will come into form in the second round, where the top four totals will advanced and be seeded by total number of HRs hit.
Should there be a tie in the first round, it will be broken by the longest HR. Once in the second round, if there happens to be a tie, it will revert back to the sixty second swing-off, which will not include any timeouts.
Another large change is that in the first two rounds there will be a forty pitch limit to go along with a three minute timer. Once in the final round, the pitch limit will be dropped to twenty-seven pitches and a two minute timer.
Players are still able to gain bonus time, but the new rules are a bit convoluted. Demetrius Bell wrote an excellent article for SB Nation in which he explained the bonus. Bell states “hitters can still gain ‘bonus time”’ by hitting long homers during the normal period but the “bonus period” is now measured in terms of how many pitches it takes for a hitter to record three outs — meaning, any swing that doesn’t result in a homer. On top of that, hitters can pick up a fourth out if they hit a homer of at least 425 feet during the bonus.”
It will be a fun night. If Alonso wins, he will be only the second three-time winner (Ken Griffey Jr.). If Ozuna wins, he will be the first ever Braves, and if Garcia wins, he will be only the third player to win in front of a home crowd (Bryce Harper, Ryan Sandberg).
There is a 37.5 percent chance that the winner will be from the NL East. Comment along as we watch the event together!
How to watch 2024 Home Run Derby
Date: Monday, July 15
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
Location: Globe Life Field, Arlington, TX
TV: ESPN
Stream: WatchESPN
<img alt="MLB: Atlanta Braves at San Diego Padres" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/jEqCvAKNYwoJjgC65cvQgRGP8SY=/0x1:4556x3038/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73462833/usa_today_23732996.0.jpg">
Marcell Ozuna looks to bring home the HR Derby crown | Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
Eight players look to take home the Home Run Derby crown, including Marcell Ozuna of the Atlanta Braves Tonight, eight sluggers will be competing for the 2024 Home Run Derby crown. This list includes Marcell Ozuna of the Atlanta Braves. The Braves have never had a contestant win the Derby, so Ozuna is looking to be the first.
The Competitors
The list of player competing tonight are as follows: two-time champion Pete Alonso, Hometown representative Adolis Garcia, AL MVP contender Gunnar Henderson, Phillies’ rising star Alec Bohm, Dodgers’ surprising slugger Teoscer Hernandez, perennial All-Star Jose Ramirez, rising superstar Bobby Witt Jr., and the Braves’ best hitter this season Marcell Ozuna.
Rule Changes
If you found yourself wondering why you were not seeing how the players were seeded, and who they would match up against first, you were not the only one. One of the major changes to the rules this year is that in the first round, there are no brackets or seeds. The brackets will come into form in the second round, where the top four totals will advanced and be seeded by total number of HRs hit.
Should there be a tie in the first round, it will be broken by the longest HR. Once in the second round, if there happens to be a tie, it will revert back to the sixty second swing-off, which will not include any timeouts.
Another large change is that in the first two rounds there will be a forty pitch limit to go along with a three minute timer. Once in the final round, the pitch limit will be dropped to twenty-seven pitches and a two minute timer.
Players are still able to gain bonus time, but the new rules are a bit convoluted. Demetrius Bell wrote an excellent article for SB Nation in which he explained the bonus. Bell states “hitters can still gain ‘bonus time”’ by hitting long homers during the normal period but the “bonus period” is now measured in terms of how many pitches it takes for a hitter to record three outs — meaning, any swing that doesn’t result in a homer. On top of that, hitters can pick up a fourth out if they hit a homer of at least 425 feet during the bonus.”
It will be a fun night. If Alonso wins, he will be only the second three-time winner (Ken Griffey Jr.). If Ozuna wins, he will be the first ever Braves, and if Garcia wins, he will be only the third player to win in front of a home crowd (Bryce Harper, Ryan Sandberg).
There is a 37.5 percent chance that the winner will be from the NL East. Comment along as we watch the event together!
How to watch 2024 Home Run Derby
Date: Monday, July 15
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
Location: Globe Life Field, Arlington, TX
TV: ESPN
Stream: WatchESPN
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