Derby day has arrived! The 2026 Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park is just hours away, which means the dingers will soon be flying in Philadelphia, Pa. This year’s Derby will look a bit different, in multiple ways, as five of the eight participants are taking part in the festivities for the first time in their respective careers. But that’s not the only unfamiliar aspect of this year’s event, which will be streaming on Netflix—and not on its traditional home on ESPN—and will feature a new format. So before the action gets underway, let’s take a moment to go over the new Derby rules and format. From the Derby’s first year in 1985 up until 2015, the event followed an outs-based format, wherein sluggers would only have a finite number of outs to take their hacks at the plate—usually 10—and any swing that did not result in a homer would charge the hitter with an out. In 2015, MLB significantly altered the format of the derby when it moved to a timer-based system, in which sluggers had to hit as many homers as they could within a set time limit. As there sometimes is with change, there was initial excitement with the timer format, which eventually gave way to annoyance from fans. What is the new Home Run Derby format in 2026? In 2026, the Derby will move back to a system similar to the outs-based format and adopt a swing-based rule system. There is no more timer in the Home Run Derby, to the relief of some. Each player will get a certain number of swings per round, and each swing a player takes will count towards their total allotment, whether it results in a home run or not. Here is a look at how many swings the sluggers will get in the three rounds of the Derby. Round Number of Swings 120215Final 15If a player’s last swing in a round results in a homer, they will keep swinging until they do not hit a homer. Unlike in past years, there will be no bracket in the first round and no bonus round. All eight players will take their swings in the first round and the four players who belt the most home runs will advance to the second round, where they will be seeded based on their home run totals from the first round. From there, the sluggers will go head-to-head in their respective matchups to determine the two finalists. How will ties be broken in the 2026 Home Run Derby? Any ties in the first round will be broken by home run distance, with the player who hit the longest homer advancing to the second round. Conversely, any ties in the second round or final round will be broken by a three-swing swing-off until there is a winner. Why did MLB change the Home Run Derby format for 2026? The clock-based format sped up the Derby, which at the time literally made for a nice change of pace. But the timer also made the Derby a hard watch, as fans had little time to appreciate the home run that was hit before the next pitch was on its way. With a timer in place, there was also an increased chance that hitters would tire more quickly, leading to less excitement as the event went on. MLB's executive vice president of baseball operations Morgan Sword told The Athletic that the league had received feedback from fans, current players and former players, with one complaint being that the Derby was difficult to “follow along with.” The idea behind the changes? “The idea is to slow the pace down a little bit, simplify the rules a little bit,” Sword told The Athletic. More MLB from Sports IllustratedAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow