Home Run Derby: What you need to know

Watch as Josh Donaldson hits his ninth homer in the first round of the Home Run Derby, beating Anthony Rizzo.

Sportsnet Staff July 13, 2015, 9:30 PM

The MLB All-Star Home Run Derby is underway at Great American Ball Park, home of the Cincinnati Reds. You can catch it live on Sportsnet.

We’ve put together a need-to-know list of stats, facts, rule changes and more to help you get the most out of Monday’s Home Run Derby.

There’s a new format

The new Derby features a tournament-style setup with eight seeded players. The players are ranked based on each player’s HR total through July 7th. Like typical bracket-style systems, the winner of each head-to-head matchup will move on to the semifinals, while the loser will be eliminated. The two players who emerge from the semifinals will face off in a final round. Ties will be broken by a 90-second swing-off.

Timing is everything

Each batter will have five minutes to hit as many home runs as they can, starting at the release of the first pitch. Players can use one “time out” per round.

Players who hit a home run in the final minute of the challenge will pause the clock until they hit a ball that is not a home run or swing and miss a pitch.

If a player hits at least two home runs that exceed 420 feet, he earns one minute of bonus time. Hitting a home run that travels at least 475 feet earns 30 seconds of bonus time.

Fun Derby facts

The average true distance for a home run hit at Great American Ball Park this season is 392.8 feet. As for the longest home run hit there this season, that title belongs to the Brewers’ Aramis Ramirez with his 444-foot grand slam.

A member of the AL has won the HR Derby in each of the last 5 seasons.

Albert Pujols (LAA) leads all Derby participants in home runs this season with 26 (that’s second place in the MLB). He also leads all Derby participants in At-Bats per home run at 12.50 (fourth in MLB).

Joc Pederson (LAD) leads all HR Derby participants and the MLB in average HR distance at 430.5 feet.

Did you know?

There have been 101 home runs hit at Great American Ball Park this season — that’s the eighth-most hit at any ballpark this season.

1. CAMDEN YARDS (BAL) – 123
2. MILLER PARK (MIL) – 118
3. YANKEE STADIUM (NYY) – 113
4. ROGERS CENTRE (TOR) – 111
5. COORS FIELD (COL) – 109
6. DODGER STADIUM (LAD) – 106
7. MINUTE MAID PARK (HOU) – 106
8. GREAT AMERICAN BALL PARK (CIN) – 108