The MLB All-Star Break is here and the best players from around baseball are in Arlington, Texas, as the festivities get underway this week. The 2024 MLB Draft is already in the books, with the Guardians taking Travis Bazzana No. 1 overall out of Oregon State. Now the focus shifts to the Home Run Derby.
There are a few rule changes for this year — most importantly, the first round will be leaderboard style, rather than starting as a bracket-style competition, with the player with the highest home run total seeded first and the lowest seeded eighth. The opening round will see the top four scores advance to a bracket-style final four. There is also a total pitch limit in addition to the time limit. In the first two rounds, batters will have 40 pitches within three minutes, and in the finals, each batter will have 27 pitches over two minutes. You can read more about the rule changes and get an in-depth look at each of the eight Derby participants here.
2024 MLB Home Run Derby participants
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Pete Alonso — Mets, 18 HR
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Alec Bohm — Phillies, 11 HR
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Adolis García — Rangers, 17 HR
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Gunnar Henderson — Orioles, 27 HR
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Teoscar Hernández — Dodgers, 19 HR
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Marcell Ozuna — Braves, 26 HR
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José Ramírez — Guardians, 23 HR
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Bobby Witt Jr. — Royals, 16 HR
How to watch the 2024 MLB Home Run Derby
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Date: July 15, 2024
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Time: 8 p.m. ET
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Location: Globe Life Field | Arlington, Texas
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TV channel: ESPN
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Streaming: DirecTV Stream, Fubo, ESPN+
Stay with Yahoo Sports for complete coverage of the 2024 MLB Home Run Derby from Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
Live40 updates
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Pete Alonso out after disappointing round
Welp. That was not what anyone was expecting. Pete Alonso — the first player ever to compete in five consecutive Derbies — could not get in a groove in his first round and finished with a lackluster 12 total homers, ensuring that he will not advance to the semifinals no matter how the final three batters fare.
There was some excitement about the return of Dave Jauss as Alonso’s pitcher for the Derby, as the former Mets bench coach was Alonso’s Derby thrower when he last won the event in 2021 and again in 2022. Alas, Jauss seemed to struggle with his location and was throwing noticeably softer than the other Derby pitchers, leaving it all on Alonso to supply the power. It was not to be.
Will we see Alonso back in 2025 for a sixth straight Derby? After three consecutive losses, I’m not so sure. But I wouldn’t put it past him, either.
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Ramírez slowed down after his timeout and has some work to do in his bonus round to secure a spot in the second round. 15 home runs before his bonus round.
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Ramírez is off to a strong start. 10 home runs in 21 swings before his timeout. 1:25 remaining.
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Guardians slugger José Ramírez is now at the plate.
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“Swing at everything, and pull it” — Alec Bohm with Derby tips to ESPN after securing his spot in the second round.
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A disappointing showing eliminates two-time champion Pete Alonso in the first round. He adds two home runs in his bonus round but guarantees himself a bottom-four showing with 12 total home runs. Alec Bohm, meanwhile, has punched his ticket to the second round.
Alec Bohm: 21
Bobby Witt Jr.: 20
Teoscar Hernández: 19
Adolis García: 18
Pete Alonso: 12 -
Pete Alonso’s in trouble. He has nine home runs before his bonus round and is on the verge of elimination.
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Alsonso has five home runs in his first 16 pitches before taking a timeout.
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Two-time Derby champ Pete Alonso is up next. Will he advance in his quest for a third title?
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Teoscar Hernández launches longest ball of the night (so far)
Teoscar Hernández decided to buck the trend and was the first Derby participant to not wear a hat. It seemed to give him some more pop, as he hit the longest homer of the first round so far, with a 466-foot shot deep into the second deck.
He also really found his groove in the bonus round, adding six more homers to up his total to 19. That puts him third after four hitters.
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One of Hernandez’s blasts traveled 466 feet:
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Teoscar Hernández made the most of his bonus round. Added six home runs to increase his tally to 19. Standings after four batters.
Alec Bohm: 21
Bobby Witt Jr.: 20
Teoscar Hernández: 19
Adolis García: 18 -
Hernández looks like a candidate to fall short of the second round. Has 13 home runs before his bonus round and left five pitches of his 40 pitches in the bag.
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Hernández has six home runs before taking his timeout with 23 pitches remaining.
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Adolis García likely out after first round … again
The lone non-All-Star in the competition, Adolis García was still a fairly obvious selection to represent the hometown Rangers in the Derby, and predictably, he had the most vocal support at Globe Life Field during his opening round.
In his first Derby appearance last year, García lost in the first round to his good friend Randy Arozarena, and he was hoping for a better showing this time around in front of the home crowd. No such luck, or so it seems: García’s 18 total homers — with zero coming in the bonus round — will likely leave him on the outside looking in on the second round for the second year in a row.
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Dodgers slugger Teoscar Hernández is up next.
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Adolis García posts a zero in his bonus round. Standings after three batters:
Alec Bohm: 21
Bobby Witt Jr.: 20
Adolis García: 18 -
A strong finish after his timeout, and García has 18 home runs before his bonus round. He left one ball at the mound, though. Used 39 of his 40 pitches before the timer hit zero.
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Bobby Witt Jr. keeps the pace
You expect the hometown guy to have a little extra juice, and that’s exactly what Bobby Witt Jr. did.
The guy known as Bobby Baseball hit 20 bombs in his first round, a solid showing in his first MLB Home Run Derby. I wouldn’t be surprised if he wins the whole darn thing in front of his hometown and family.
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García takes his timeout with eight home runs and 22 swings remaining. Some work to do to keep pace.
