Explaining Home Run Derby Rules for 2025 & Looking Back on History of Change

The 39th edition of the Home Run Derby takes place on Monday, as eight of baseball’s best sluggers compete in the Derby on the eve of the All-Star Game.

This year, Braves first baseman Matt Olson, Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, Nationals outfielder James Wood, Twins outfielder Byron Buxton, Rays infielder Junior Caminero, Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz, Yankees infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr., and Athletics designated hitter Brent Rooker will compete in the derby.

Before the 2025 Home Run Derby begins, here's a look at the rules and format.

Home Run Derby Format

The current Home Run Derby format is a three round contest featuring a first round, semifinals, and finals.

During the first round, all eight hitters will have either three minutes or 40 pitches to hit as many home runs as they can. After a player’s three minutes or 40 pitches are up, they start a bonus period, which will continue until a player records three outs. In the Home Run Derby, any hit that does not go for a home run is considered an "out." Additionally, if a player hits a home run of at least 425 feet, they can extend their bonus period until they record a fourth out.

The four players that record the most home runs in the first round will advance to the semifinals. If there is a tie, whichever player hit the longest home run will advance.

In the semifinals, the players get seeded by the amount of home runs they hit. The No. 1 seed, who hit the most home runs in the first round, will take on the No. 4 seed. The No. 2 seed will face the No. 3 seed. Hitters will have two minutes or 27 pitches to hit as many home runs as they can, and then the player with the most home runs of each matchup will advance to the finals.

Once again in the finals, the two remaining hitters will have two minutes or 27 pitches to hit as many runs as they can. Whoever hits the most homers becomes the Home Run Derby champion.

There is no carryover between rounds. If there is a tie during either the semifinals or finals, a 60 second "swing off" will be used to break the tie and determine who advances.

How Has the Home Run Derby Changed Over the Years?

Since the first Home Run Derby took place 40 years ago, there have multiple changes to the rules and format of the competition. The most recent changes took place just last year. Prior to 2024, the entire Home Run Derby took on a bracket format and each competitor entered the contest seeded from 1-8. Now, only the final two rounds follow that format. Additionally, the Home Run Derby previously did have a time limit, but not a pitches limit, which got added in 2024.

In the earliest years of the Home Run Derby, the event took on a two-inning format which saw each player receive five outs per inning. This format allowed for ties, which occurred in both 1986 and 1989. In 1986, Darryl Strawberry and Walter Joyner tied for the win, and in 1989, Eric Davis and Rubén Sierra tied as Home Run Derby champions.

The amount of players competing in the Home Run Derby also varied through the early years of the competition. The first Home Run Derby saw ten players compete, while the next two years featured six and then four competitors. The numbers of players partaking varied until 2000, when it was decided that four players from each league would compete in the Derby.